Teknisk Wereld v3
by Celtic Guardian 7
Summary: One god card is down, but there are still two more to go. And their new opponent will be harder than anyone they have ever faced... and possibly will ever face... -COMPLETE-
1. Vengeance

**Prologue**

In the year 2100, technology had become much more advanced. Now people are spending much of their free hours going to a virtual world known as Teknisk Wereld (translates to Technical World in English). This place is only able to be accessed when turning thirteen. Why? It's a dangerous area-while safeguards usually prevent deaths, serious injuries are still possible.

Anyway, when turning thirteen, you are given three things: an Envoyant Machine, a Duel Disk, and a Soul Card. The Envoyant Machine is basically a helmet-like device that "transports" your mind to Teknisk Wereld. The Duel Disk generates holograms of the cards that are used in the real world and Teknisk Wereld. Oh, forgot to mention that, didn't I? People carry around decks in both worlds. They are from a game called Duel Monsters. Played for fun and for serious reasons, hardly anyone lacks a deck these days.

Then you have the Soul Card. From this card comes your Soul Monster. This monster, based off one in the Duel Monsters game, is to remain bonded with you for life. Also, this monster is to be your Deck Master in duels. Deck Masters give the game a unique twist; each one comes with a special ability that can turn the duel to your favor.

In Teknisk Wereld v.1, Hope Gales was finally able to go to Teknisk Wereld. There she met most of her best friends; Rue, Max, Will, Claire, and Brandi. She also met their Soul Monsters; Ruecian, Olympion, Neo, Perseus, Mana, and her own, Gaston. When the Generals of Hell began to kill innocents to fulfill the conditions of the Ritual of 1000 Souls, the six teens went out to stop them. Through many sacrifices, Hope was finally able to confront the one they revived; Satan himself. How she managed to survive is still unknown, but apparently there is more to her than meets the eye…

In Teknisk Wereld v.2, they were up against a new group: the Commanders of Heaven. But instead of wanting to revive God, they wanted to overthrow him. Although the Commanders were much more clever than the Generals, the group had new friends as well. Miles, a thief and Commander, turned traitor and joined Hope and her companions. Draken, a former General, was brought back to life and wanted to help those that helped him see the truth. Fell and Larka, brother and sister, were helped out by Hope when escaping a laboratory where they had been specimen, and they remained with the group. Zack, a cyborg hired by the Commanders to kill the group, joined as well after Hope managed to convince him to switch sides. Matt, a companion of Max and Brandi, and Amy, Hope's half-sister, also assisted at various points.

After many duels, they finally managed to reach the lead Commander, Kouten. But before they could face him, they had to go through an ordeal that involved each of them seeing a vision, all important in their own way. They also got a few words of advice from God's messenger, Gabriel.

Kouten actually had one of the three god cards, Immense Divine Soldier of Obelisk. Max managed to defeat Kouten though, even though he had Obelisk. Max volunteered to hang on to Obelisk for the time being, which took care of one god card.

But there are still two more god cards that must be found. For if all three god cards are played in duels, unsealing them, Satan will awaken…

**Chapter 1: Vengeance**

It had been about a month after defeating Kouten, and so far there had been no other signs of trouble. The group often went to visit each other in Teknisk Wereld-in fact, they did this pretty much daily. Hope had advised a while back that they do this so that if someone did not come on for a few days, then they would know something was wrong and could try to find that person. After what had happened with Max, they had agreed that this was a good plan.

It was early in the morning on a beautiful day of July, in Illinois. But Hope had not realized this, for yet again, she was watching an argument with amusement.

"Please?"

"…"

"Come on Fell! They're just shoes! Please put them on so we can get going!"

"…"

"Hope spent her own money on these! Is this any way to show your gratitude?"

"…"

"ARGH! You can drive me insane sometimes!"

Hope laughed softly. This had been a common sight to see for her, ever since she had let Larka, Fell, and Zack live in her home. Although her mom had been hesitant at first to let them, she agreed when hearing that they had no home to go to yet. Zack used his free time to scan the internet for likely locations, but had not found one so far. Fell and Larka were still just teenagers, and they had no jobs or money, so they did not even bother to look yet. Fell seemed to have an idea of what he wanted to do, but whenever Larka asked, he never answered.

Although Larka loved her brother, he could indeed drive her crazy by just staying silent, as Hope had soon learned. She had also learned that neither really cared much for fashion. Hope had succeeded in getting them some new clothes to replace their old, torn up ones-black for Fell, white for Larka, since that was used to what they were wearing. She had also managed to get them socks and shoes, which was a new concept to them. They had never had to wear them for the ten years they had been in the lab. Larka did not mind wearing them, but Fell always tried to get around having to put them on. But seeing as that wasn't always an option, Larka was constantly having to try and force, beg, or bribe her brother into wearing them. She always managed to convince him in the end, but sometimes it could take a while. The only two reasons Fell didn't just find a way to throw the shoes away was because Hope had spent her own money on them, so it would have been a waste to just get rid of them, and because Larka would have killed him.

"Has she convinced him yet?" Zack asked as he walked up. He too had gotten used to the daily ritual the two of them had developed.

Hope had to admit that Zack was an easy houseguest to look after. While Fell and Larka could not eat anything but meat and they needed new clothes and such, Zack did not face any of those problems. The only thing he requested was a quiet room to recharge himself in, which was basically his version of sleeping. Hope was grateful that he did not need to eat, or else she was afraid her mom would have kicked the three of them out a while ago for the amount of food bills she would have needed to pay.

"Not yet," Hope grinned. "I've seen this so many times, yet it never fails to entertain me."

"Indeed. How long until they are done?"

"I think she nearly has him persuaded," Hope assured.

"Fell, they're waiting for us! And you can't go into Teknisk Wereld without these!" she exclaimed, indicating to the black shoes that lay on the carpet innocently. "It won't kill you to put them on for a few hours!"

"…"

"Are you trying to make me want to murder you? Because you are succeeding!"

"…"

"That's it! If you don't get these shoes on NOW, I'm going to take your deck and tear up every card in it! Let's see you duel then!"

Fell raised an eyebrow at the threat before finally reaching over and grabbing the shoes.

"THANK YOU! For crying out loud…" Larka sat down on the sofa nearby with sigh.

"Good job," Hope said, coming out of the hall. "You finally convinced him, even if it had to be done through threats."

"I don't understand him sometimes!" Larka complained. "It's not like those shoes will hurt him or something!"

"I think he prefers that we don't understand him," Hope joked.

Fell stood up, this time wearing the shoes, and Larka looked over him.

"Finally! It's about time you got those things on… FELL! Did you forget to brush your hair AGAIN?!"

"…"

"I swear, if I am sent to the madhouse, then I'm blaming you!" Larka snarled, grabbing a brush and seizing her brother's arm to prevent him from trying to get away from her. Then she forcefully began brushing his very long hair, while he concentrated on looking up at the ceiling with a sense of impatience.

Another thing that Hope had introduced to the two of them was brushes. Larka had been rather fascinated by the whole thing, seeing as her long hair often got painfully tangled, but Fell could have cared less. He absolutely refused to have anything to do with it, so Larka was always left to take care of his hair. An interesting thing about being part wolf was that their teeth did not seem to need brushing or any form of attention whatsoever. (Unless breath mints count as attention) So toothbrushes were rather unnecessary. Also, cutting their hair was out of the question. Larka had explained that it just grew back in a few days anyway. Another side effect of being part wolf, Hope guessed.

Speaking of side effects, Hope had been quite worried about the full moon that had been coming up. Luckily, Daine and Malon were able to stay with their masters while it occurred, so it went by uneventfully.

"I think we're finally ready," Larka growled, giving Fell's hair one last painful stroke before tossing aside the brush.

"Then let's get moving," Hope said.

-----

Will was preparing to go to Teknisk Wereld as well, but was currently trying to find a book. He had left the news on as he scanned his bookshelf for a good novel.

"Ah, here's one," he muttered, grabbing a book titled The Outcast.

"Are you trying to read all of your Redwall books again?" Neo asked. He was sitting on a chair nearby, waiting for Will to finish.

"Yep. I love rereading them," Will answered. "So, shall we go?"

"Hold on. The top news story is coming up. Something about a new disease? I wanted to hear it."

"Since when have you been into the news?" Will inquired, sitting down on another chair.

"Since we started looking for god cards?" Neo shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe we'll find our next major opponent by the news."

"I guess you have a point, for once…"

Will did not continue, because the news was finally back on.

"Now, for our top story… A strange new virus seems to have been taken into effect. This deadly disease has already killed three people. Scientists are currently looking into the matter, but cannot seem to find out what the symptoms are. A mother of a boy who died, who wishes for both names to remain unknown, says that he his skin had turned black, or something similar. He would often have fits, and his skin was burning hot. However, there are no stories to back up this claim. We are unaware if this virus transfers through the air, so if anyone else that you know falls mysteriously ill, please contact your nearest doctor. Now, onto weather…"

"Interesting, but not very helpful," Will commented. "Well, Neo? Want to watch the weather?"

"I'll pass," Neo said, shutting off the TV.

"Hm… before we leave…" Will walked over to the VCR and ejected a tape from it.

"Why are you doing that?" Neo inquired.

"So the VCR doesn't record Home Improvement while we're gone. I don't need you wrecking any more of my house."

"Aw man!"

-----

Hope, Fell, Larka, and Zack all arrived at the lake at about the same time.

"About time you guys got here," Rue commented.

"We were delayed for certain reasons," Larka said, glaring at Fell. He chose to ignore her look, so she went on. "So you and Claire are here… who else?"

"Max and I got here too," Brandi greeted. She was casually dueling Rue; in other words, they weren't using their Duel Disk or their Deck Masters. Ruecian was lying on the ground, not really paying much attention, while Mana was watching with interest. She also happened to be as far away from Olympion as she could be, while still managing to watch the duel. Olympion was actually standing nearby Ruecian, and looked bored. Max was reading a book titled Children of the Mind. Claire and Perseus were also watching the duel, from lack of anything better to do.

"What about Will?" Hope inquired.

"He should be here soon."

"Did Gen show up yet?"

"Yeah, he did. And he said the same thing as always." Brandi sighed. "Why isn't Miles coming himself? I thought that out of all of us he'd be the one who'd want to talk the most. That guy always used to be the joker of the group."

"Yeah…" Hope agreed.

Every day since they had started the new procedure of logging in and making sure they were all still there, Gen had shown up to tell them that Miles was doing ok, but did not want to see them yet. Ever since they had left the church, Miles had remained in his home, wherever that was, and had kept to himself. Nobody had seen him during the rest of the month.

"It must have something to do with the ordeal he went through," Hope said. "The rest of us got through our fine, but Miles looked completely terrified by whatever he had seen."

"That's true," Brandi nodded. "But it isn't like we can do anything to help. We have no idea where Miles lives, so we can't contact him. And Gen won't tell us if Miles doesn't want him to. Besides, Gen usually leaves before we even have a chance to ask."

"You're right… I wish we could talk to him though," Hope commented.

"Maybe he'll get over it," Brandi shrugged. "Let's hope he does, anyway."

"Did Draken come?"

"Nope," Brandi said. "This is the third day that he hasn't come on. Hope, you have his cell phone number, right?"

"Yes, I do."

"Would you call him and ask what's keeping him from coming?"

"Sure, when I get back tonight I will," Hope agreed.

This was indeed the third day that Draken had failed to show up. He had given them no mention of not being able to access Teknisk Wereld on his last visit, so Hope doubted that he was on vacation or something. Still, she was worried that he hadn't called to say that he wouldn't be on. If his Envoyant Machine had broken down or something, he would have just called to let her know. So she wasn't sure what the problem was.

"Then I guess that's settled then," Claire said. "But what about Will?"

At that moment, the person in question appeared with his Soul Monster.

"There you are!" Larka exclaimed. "We were wondering."

"Sorry. Neo wanted to watch the news," he said.

"Uh… ok…" Hope blinked.

"Yeah, I was surprised too."

"Anything interesting?" Claire questioned.

"Some new virus is going around, so the doctor's are trying to find a cure for it. Or something. Their details were sketchy, at the best."

"Oh…" Claire looked over at the others. "So, what are we going to do today?"

Hope took out her Soul Card, and Gaston emerged. "I'm not sure. Do we have any plans?"

"Not that I'm aware of," Larka replied, letting Malon out. Malon tackled into her, being very happy to finally be let out of the Soul Card. Daine had also appeared, and was watching the proceedings with interest.

"Then let's just hang out here all day and duel," Claire suggested. "We haven't done that for a while."

"You have a point," Hope said as she looked over at Brandi's hand. "Hey, Rue, you've pretty much lost."

"I'm well aware of that," Rue muttered as he laid another monster in defense mode.

-----

"So, how is it coming along?"

"As well as it can be expected, sir. I need to ask you for some supplies though…"

"Give me a list and I'll see to it. What about you? Have you started yet?"

"Yes… it is spreading… I am assisting it… already several have died… so many deaths…"

"Ok, that's enough. I don't need to hear words of insanity. As long as the plan is working so far, then I am satisfied. Hand over that list, and I will get the materials needed."

"Of course. But I must ask you something, sir."

"Go on."

"When do you think we will…?"

"Ah, that. Do not worry. You will get your request soon enough, as will you."

"Yes… soon… it must be soon…"

"Alright, that's all I wanted. Go back to work, both of you. I have business I must attend to. And then I will retrieve these items for you."

"My thanks, sir."

-----

"When the heck will I actually manage to win a duel?!" Rue snarled as he lost yet again.

"When I become old, blind, and deaf, you might stand a chance. Might," Brandi grinned.

"Ha ha ha. Not," Rue muttered.

Hope looked up at the sky. "As fun as this is to watch, I think it's about time we get going. It's about to be dark."

"That's true," Will agreed. "Alright, then I guess we'll see you guys here tomorrow."

"Bye for now," Gaston said as he and Hope left. Fell, Larka, and Zack followed, Daine and Malon coming as well. Will and Neo left afterwards, and then Rue, Ruecian, Claire, and Perseus were gone. Max, Olympion, Brandi, and Mana were the last to leave.

-----

Just as Max and Brandi were detaching their Envoyant Machines, they heard a knock on the door. Wondering who would be coming at this late of an hour, they went to the door, and Max opened it.

"Hey," Matt said.

"Hi," Max replied, letting their friend in. "Why are you here?"

"I just wanted to give you an update on Abby's condition," he explained. "I'll give it to you straight; she's getting worse. The doctors are doing what they can, but it isn't looking good."

Max and Brandi didn't know what to say about that.

"I'll keep you updated though," Matt assured. "If there are any major changes, I'll be sure to tell you."

"Thanks," Brandi said. "Is there any other reason you came?"

Matt hesitated slightly before grinning. "Well, since it is almost dinner time…"

"How did I know?" Brandi sighed.

"If you were always eating fast food and take out, you'd be pretty sick of it too," Matt pointed out.

"That's true," Brandi agreed. "Alright, you can stay for dinner. But it will take a while for me to make it."

"That's fine, thanks," Matt said, walking in. "As long as I don't have to eat at Subway again, I could care less."

Brandi went to the kitchen, while Max decided to watch TV. Matt followed him.

"Anything interesting?" Matt inquired as Max turned on the TV.

"Will mentioned something about a new virus, but that's about it. Nothing that would really involve the other two god cards, anyway."

Matt nodded. "I see."

Although Matt had not gone to the church, Max and Brandi had told him of what had occurred there. Rue had done the same for Claire, and Hope for Amy. But none of the group had told of the visions they had seen. That was something private, for only the respective viewer to know.

"We'll find them, eventually," Max said as he flipped through the channels in a bored manner. "Not much on at the moment…"

Neither of them noticed the five year old boy watching them.

_Keep concerning yourself with your petty challenges, _Ender thought, glaring bitterly at his half brother. _For soon, you will have far more important things to worry about._

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Brandi had started cooking dinner. She had decided to make ziti. Ziti was a lot like spaghetti, but its noodles were hollow. Brandi was quite skilled at making it, and it was a dish she enjoyed eating, so she was anticipating it. She started it right away, and soon had the pot with water on the over. While she waited for it to boil, she began to prepare the sauce. When that was done, she put the pot with it onto the oven as well. It was around that time that Chasity walked over to her.

"Sis?"

"Hi Chasity. What is it?"

"Will you take me swimming?"

"Again?" Brandi asked, exasperated. "You ask me so often that I've begun to wear my swimming suit under my clothes! But I can't right now. I'm making dinner. Maybe later?"

"But I want to go now! Please?" she begged.

Brandi made the mistake of looking down at her little sister. Chasity was giving her a look that just spoke of pleading. Her eyes were irresistible.

"Oh fine!" Brandi growled, tossing her spoon onto the counter. "But not for too long."

"Yay! Thank you!" Chasity cheered before running towards the front door. Brandi gave a great sigh before following.

"I'll be right back!" she shouted over to Max and Matt.

"Looks like she got you again," Max joked.

"Shut up," Brandi snarled as she walked out of the kitchen and to the front room.

Mana and Hime were there, chatting with each other. Brandi went over to the front door, and called back, "Mana!"

"Yes?"

Brandi winced at the thought of what she was about to say, but went on. "You're going to have to finish cooking dinner for me."

"Ok!" Mana immediately rushed over to the kitchen.

Brandi sighed again. "I know I'm going to regret saying that…" she muttered before leaving the house.

The condo they lived in was, luckily, very close to the swimming pool. Brandi and Chasity made it there in less than a minute, seeing as it was right behind the condo. Chasity leapt into the water without a moment's hesitation. Brandi soon followed her in.

Back in the kitchen, Mana was actually enjoying her task. Although she often unintentionally destroyed kitchen utensils when cooking, ziti was something rather easy to make, so Mana felt pretty confident that nothing would go wrong.

Unfortunately, she had not counted on the sauce acting up. For when she gingerly lifted the lid to check on it, the sauce went everywhere, hitting her in the face.

Brandi was just about to dive under the water again when she heard Mana's scream of shock and pain. Taken by complete surprise, Brandi accidentally swallowed a mouthful of water. It took her a few minutes to finally quit coughing.

"Sis! Are you ok?" Chasity asked.

"I'm fine… but what about Mana?" Brandi started swimming back to shore. "Just wait there! I'll be right back!"

She didn't wait for an answer, but began to run towards the condo. She leapt through the window, and ran into the kitchen.

Mana was carefully wiping sauce off her face with a damp paper towel when Brandi entered. Brandi looked over at the sauce-covered oven, then at Mana's stained paper towel, and said, "I don't even want to know what happened."

"Don't worry, I'll clean it up," Mana assured, grabbing some more paper towels.

"You had better," Brandi muttered before stomping off.

Luckily, there were no more incidents, and dinner was soon served. It was excellent, and more than one person went for seconds, and even thirds.

Finally, Matt laid down his fork. "That was great, Brandi."

"What about me? I helped too!" Mana complained.

"Yeah, good job," Matt nodded. "I'm sorry to have to leave so soon, but I have errands that I need to run, and Abby is expecting me to return."

"Alright," Brandi said. "Thanks for coming by."

"Thanks for letting me stay for dinner," Matt replied. "It was quite a nice change from my usual routine."

"Well, hopefully you'll come back soon," Max said.

"If I can, I will," Matt guaranteed. Then he got up from the table, deposited his dishes on the counter, and kissed Brandi before leaving. They had grown quite open with their relationship.

Brandi cleared away the rest of the plates. "It's getting late. I think I'm going to turn in."

"As should you two," Hime told Chasity and Ender.

"Awww! Five more minutes?" Chasity protested.

"It won't work," Hime stated. "So don't even bother to try and argue."

"Darn," Chasity pouted.

Ender hadn't said anything during dinner, but the others were used to that. Ender liked to remain silent most of the time, as Max and Brandi had soon learned.

"I'm going to bed as well," Max decided. "Night guys."

They each went to their own rooms. Chasity and Ender slept in the same room, which was next to the living room, and Mana and Hime watched over them while they slept. This meant that Brandi had to sleep alone, but she did not mind. In fact, while Abby was in the hospital, she got to sleep in her mother's room. Max slept on the couch in the living room, and Olympion stayed nearby him.

No matter how much Brandi tried to clear her mind and fall asleep, she simply could not do it. After about an hour of just laying there, she gave up, and got out of bed. Perhaps a walk on the beach would help.

When swimming, Brandi wore her black and silver two-piece swimsuit. But when it came to just walking on the beach, she preferred to wear her blue one-piece. So she quickly slipped out of her nightgown and into her swimsuit. Then she quietly made her way out of the condo and went to the beach.

It was a tranquil night with a clear sky. The stars and moon were easily visible. Brandi strolled along the shore for a while before sitting down on the beach and simply staring at the sky.

The regular rhythm of the water calmed her. Before long, she was fast asleep.

-----

Ender lay in bed, waiting. He know that if he was patient, then he would get his chance soon enough. He just had to wait…

There. At last, Mana had drifted off into slumber. He had known that she would. Hime had already been resting, since it was Mana's turn to watch over them. Chasity had fallen asleep a while ago, so Ender was the only one awake in the room.

Ender slowly got out of bed, hardly even daring to breathe. He was good at stealth though, and managed to make it out.

Max usually kept Olympion's Soul Card in his pocket, but tonight he had placed it on the table. So Ender proceeded to the dining room.

He snuck over to the table carefully, and picked up the Soul Card. Then he looked around, to make sure nobody was watching him.

When he was sure he was alone, he tore Olympion's Soul Card in half.

He stood still for about a minute, to make sure that nobody had heard it. Then he placed the card pieces on the table, and went back to his room.

Mana woke with a start, and mentally berated herself for falling asleep. She had thought that she had heard the door open, but when she looked, it was closed, and both children were asleep. So she thought nothing more of it.

But Ender was still awake, thinking to himself.

_Finally, it is done. My revenge for father is complete. Feel the pain of loss, Max, as I have!_

-----

Brandi also woke up suddenly, only to find herself being drowned. Coughing and sputtering, she managed to drag herself onto the shore.

_Got caught in the high tide… again… _she thought in disgust. _But that wasn't why I woke up… I feel as though something is wrong._

Brandi began to run back to the condo.

-----

_At last… the time has come… I can awaken!_

Max bolted up, panting.

_That voice… from the ordeals…_ Max took a few deep breaths to steady himself. _Where is Olympion? Hm…_ Then he got up. _Maybe a glass of water would help…_

He got up and walked through the dining room, and glanced at the table as he passed it.

Then he froze, staring at Olympion's torn Soul Card in horror.

_Olympion's__ Soul Card! It's torn! That means… that Olympion is…_

At last… the time has come… I can awaken! _That's what it meant! I'm going mad… I have to get away!_

Blinded by his fear, Max didn't stop to think about what he was doing. He ran towards the door, threw it open, and ran out, only to stop short. Brandi was standing right in front of him.

"Max! What's wrong?" she asked.

"It's nothing. Leave me alone." He tried to get by her.

She grabbed his arm. "Max, tell me what's wrong. I can't help otherwise!"

"I said, leave me alone!" Max snarled, and he threw her off of himself.

What he had not noticed was the direction he was throwing her. They were standing on a ramp on a five-story building, and even though they were on the first floor, they were currently a fair distance from the ground. She crashed through the railing, and fell with a shout. Then she hit the ground, and was still.

"Brandi!" he yelled. "N-no… NO!"

Mana leapt up, hearing a cry of sorrow. She ran outside, and immediately saw Brandi laying there.

But Max, the one she had heard, was nowhere in sight.

To be continued…


	2. Two Deaths? Countless Wounds

-Comes onto stage- Hi people! -Gets hit with a bunch of tomatoes- Hey! That wasn't nice. But I can understand why. I am very, very sorry for the delay. High school is really taking its toll on me. But hopefully, I will be able to get in a few updates every now and then. Maybe once a week if I use my time wisely. Maybe more even. Thank you for continuing to review though!

eframtheretardedrabbit: Thanks for the kind comment.

Demon Fan: Whoops, thanks for pointing out my error. I'll have to fix it. And you know what will happen? Sorry dude, you have NO IDEA. Muahahahaha! And don't threaten me boy, or I'll have to get out my staple gun. Dun dun dun.

john: Matt has a sister? Wow. Why didn't he tell me, the author? P And your prediction is incorrect. But nice try.

DarkFictionWizard: Yeah, yeah. I already thanked you. P Thanks again though.

Zander: Because Ender is EVIL! Ok, maybe not. And will Brandi be ok? Good question.

Artemis of the Moon: I understand. Thanks for reviewing, and for your confidence in v3!

**Chapter 2: Two Deaths, Countless Wounds**

_Hope looked around the area of total darkness, trying to find something important… something that meant everything to her… but it was gone once more…_

_She spun around, having heard someone approach. A black pitchfork with red prongs buried itself into her chest. She was aware of it piercing through her heart, to emerge from her back. The blood was nothing compared to the one who wielded the weapon though. Satan stared at her, with a triumphant smirk that she had seen so many times…_

_Then he began to slowly change… the pitchfork became a katana. Satan's silver hair became dark brown. And his red eyes became brown, and bloodshot._

_Although he had a horrifying, insane grin on his face, there was no mistaking it._

_Satan had turned into Max._

"Hope! Hope, wake up!"

Hope's eyes flew open as she finally came to her senses. She slowly sat up, heart still pounding.

"Hey, are you ok? It looked like you were having a nightmare or something," Larka said.

While Fell slept outside, most often on the roof, and Zack preferred the guest room, Larka had chosen to sleep on Hope's lower bunk bed. Usually, they got up at about the same time, or the one who woke up first would also wake up the other one. Both were, however, more commonly victims to Malon's method of waking them up, which was to jump on them and start licking their faces. Larka had tried shutting him out of the room once, but Malon howled the entire night outside of the door, so nobody got any sleep at all. After that particularly bad night, Larka let him stay in their room.

"Yeah… it was a nightmare…" Hope nodded. "A really vivid one… I'll be fine. Just give me a few minutes to recover."

"Alright, but you'd best get up quickly, or Malon will think you've gone back to sleep." Then she left the room.

When she was gone, Hope took out the orb from under her nightgown. She had taken to hiding it underneath whatever shirt she was wearing, as to avoid any questions about it.

As she had guessed, it was glowing black, but it was slowly fading.

"What does this mean?" she asked out loud. But nobody was there to answer her.

-----

When Hope had finally went downstairs, she found the others in the living room.

"There you are!" Larka said. "We're ready to go. What about you?"

"You managed to convince Fell already? That was pretty quick," Hope commented.

"He wasn't as stubborn today for some reason," she answered, glancing over at her brother, who seemed to be ignoring them like usual.

"Then let's get there," Hope agreed. "But would you wait for a few minutes? I have to eat something."

After Hope ate a bagel, they left for Teknisk Wereld at last.

-----

They arrived at the lake, nearby the outskirts of the forest, but nobody else was there.

"Wow, this is new. I guess we are the first ones here, for once," Larka inferred.

"They'll come soon enough," Hope commented before sitting down and opening a book she had brought.

Gaston sat down next to her. "What are you reading this time?"

She showed him the cover. The book was titled The Worthing Saga.

Gaston looked over at the author's name. "Orson Scott Card… isn't that the same author that wrote the book Max was reading?"

"Now that you mention it, yes, I believe he was," Hope replied. "He is one of the best authors I have come across. After I finish this one, I want to try and find more of his books."

After that, the silence was only broken when Hope turned a page and when Malon barked. Larka was playing fetch with him, which always got him excited.

A few minutes later, Will and Neo arrived. Rue, Ruecian, Claire, and Perseus arrived almost instantly after he did. Rue challenged Will to a duel, only to lose in about three turns.

"Cheapskate," Rue muttered, clearing away his cards.

"It was your fault for using a Black Magic Curtain when you had 8000 Life Points."

"Oh shut up."

Hope looked around the area. "It's odd. Usually, Max and Brandi come much earlier than the rest of us. Where are they now?"

"Maybe they slept in?" Claire suggested.

"It's possible, I guess," Hope shrugged. "Maybe I'm overreacting."

"No, you were right to worry."

Everyone but Fell, Daine, Larka, and Ruecian jumped at the sound of Matt's voice. The only reason Malon jumped was because he was greeting Matt by jumping at him.

"Malon, down!" Larka grabbed the energetic puppy. "Hi Matt. Long time, no see."

"You could have warned us that he was coming," Rue complained.

"Could have, but that wouldn't have been any fun," Larka teased. "So Matt, what brings you here?"

"Bad news, unfortunately," Matt sighed.

Hope stiffened, remembering her dream. "Does it have something to do with Max?"

Matt looked over at her. "You guessed it."

"What happened?" Rue inquired.

"Last night, Max pushed Brandi off the balcony of the condo they live in. By the time Mana made it outside, Max was gone, but she is sure that he was the one who did it."

Silence followed the statement, and then they all started talking at once.

"What the hell?!" Rue yelped.

"But why?" Hope asked.

"Is she ok?" Larka questioned.

"Were you there?" Gaston inquired.

"Where is Max now?" Will queried.

"Whoa, whoa! One at a time!" Matt interrupted. "Rue, you heard me correctly. Hope, I cannot say for sure why… but I have a theory." He drew out a torn card. "Does anyone recognize this?"

Daine sniffed it. "Olympion's Soul Card. So someone tore it?"

"That's right. I have no idea as to who did it, but this might explain why Max did something so out of character. You do know that Olympion helped Max keep his emotions under control, right?"

"Yes…" Hope nodded.

"Olympion, dead?" Neo asked, shocked.

"He may not have been the most friendly Soul Monster around, but I'm still going to miss him," Gaston said regretfully.

"Me too," Larka sighed. "So, what about Brandi?"

"Mana healed what she could. Although injured, she will live. Gaston, I was not there when it happened, but Mana told me what she knew. Will, I do not know where Max is at the moment. I have searched for him, but so far, nothing has come up."

From behind a tree in the forest, Ender listened to them as they conversed, and could not help but feel somewhat proud.

_This is going a lot better than I had anticipated…_

"So what should we do?" Hope asked worriedly.

"I'm not sure myself," Matt shrugged. "I'm going to keep searching for Max when possible, but I do have a job, and I often look after Abby. So… I don't know."

Suddenly, someone teleported in, right next to them.

"Brandi!" Larka exclaimed. "You're…" She trailed off, unable to bring herself to continue.

To put it in nice terms, she looked terrible. She was obviously still injured, and was limping. She seemed very weary and depressed. Her eyes, usually bright and lively, were now dead.

Mana appeared immediately afterwards. She looked tired and worried, although not as much as Brandi.

"Brandi! You should be resting!" Matt told her.

"I can't… I'm too worried about Max," she said. "I just can't lie around while he's out there alone…"

Ender then felt something he had been ignoring so far: guilt.

_I really did underestimate this… the situation is getting very out of hand…_

This would have been the perfect time for him to slip away, but he still wanted to hear more information, and remained there.

Matt stared at her for a few more seconds before turning to the others. "Guys, I have a favor to ask. We aren't going to be able to find Max all by ourselves… would you come to South Carolina and help us?"

"To look for Max? But we wouldn't have any idea on where to search," Perseus pointed out.

"Brandi does, though," Matt replied. "Seriously, we need the help badly."

"What about ticket fares though?" Rue asked.

"Here." Matt handed Hope, Rue, and Will an envelope each. "That should cover it for all of you. Will, I expect you can take a taxi, while the rest of you guys can catch an airplane. So, will you come?"

"Well… I don't think there will be many problems, since it is summer…" Hope thought out loud.

"Yeah, we won't have any trouble either," Rue assured.

"I guess that settles it then," Will nodded.

Ender had heard all he needed to, and decided now would be his best chance to get away. But as cautious as he was being when he started to walk quietly away, he accidentally stepped on a stick, breaking it.

Malon leapt up, barking fiercely while Daine stood up with a snarl. Matt, wasting no time with preamble, immediately took his Soul Card from his pocket and hurled it into the area where they had heard the noise.

Masque emerged with a roar. But this time, he was not two stories high. Instead, he was only about seven feet tall. He lunged and grabbed the eavesdropper. Ender gave a few feeble struggles before giving up, and Masque easily brought him over to the group.

"Ender? What are you doing here? You should be at home…" Matt stopped when he saw the boy's face. He seemed uncomfortable, as though he had been caught in the act of doing something wrong and was about to be punished. This could also be described as guilty.

Hope was caught off guard though. The last time she had seen him, the aura surrounding him had been filled with anger and hate. But now… it seemed somewhat sorrowful, tinged with shame.

"Why were you spying on us?" Rue demanded.

Ender stayed silent.

Mana looked thoughtful. "Come to think of it, you have been acting somewhat… odd… lately. I thought I heard the door to your room open and shut. Chasity was asleep… I thought you were too, but now… why did you get up last night?"

Matt put two and two together instantly. "You… you were the one who tore Olympion's Soul Card! Weren't you?!"

The expression on Ender's face was enough to convince everyone that Matt was correct.

"You IDIOT! What on earth were you thinking?! Max is your step-brother, one of your blood-line! Yet you did this to him? Why?!" he snarled.

The others had never seen Matt get this angry, and they were somewhat shocked. Ender too seemed to have lost the power of speech.

"Well? Explain," he said, more quietly. That only seemed to make him more fearsome though, like a dog softly growling before it would pounce.

Suddenly, Hope was able to see an aura around Matt. It was dark with anger at Ender, worry for Abby, concerns for Max and Brandi… but underneath Hope could sense something else… the light side he had, his love for Brandi and friendship for Max. This alone proved what he was capable of; being a companion who knew the meaning of loyalty. Definitely one who could be trusted.

But Masque… he didn't have an aura. Hope now was catching brief glimpses of the others' auras-even the other Soul Monsters had them-but usually, they faded before she could analyze them correctly. But Masque… he had nothing. It was like he had no soul. An empty shell who only knew how to take orders from his master.

Ender hesitated before finally explaining. "My whole life… I've been told by my father that Max was the cause of all of our problems. If he hadn't left… no, if he didn't exist… then things would be better. Mother's sickness is due to him. So is my father's rage. Father… he said everything was Max's fault. He ran away because he didn't care about either of them, and that's when things… fell apart…"

To everyone's surprise, Brandi stepped forward and took Ender from Masque's grasp gently, embracing him. "It's alright. I forgive you."

"Brandi? Are you serious?" Rue said in disbelief.

"She is," Hope nodded. For now she could see a soft glow around Brandi… one that said plainly that she spoke the truth.

"But why? I thought you would hate me, after what I did!" Ender protested.

"…We may have different fathers, but our mothers are the same. That's enough for me. I do not like what you did to Max, but you obviously regret it, and holding a grudge would do nothing to solve this problem. Also, you have been brainwashed. Max and I ran away because Jason was beyond cruel. We left to escape from him. He has hated us for that, and probably would have told you about us in a twisted way. So… anything he told you about us is probably a lie."

Nobody could remember her ever speaking like this, and watched on in silence.

"A… lie?"

"Yes."

Ender just stared, shocked. "But… it can't be… my whole life has… been a lie?"

"Yes… I know that it must be quite a shock… please, try to believe what I am telling you. I, unlike your father, have no reason to lie."

Ender did not respond.

Brandi sighed tiredly. "I'm going to log off… guys, please come as soon as you can. Ender, you don't have a way home, do you?"

Ender shook his head, still looking somewhat lost.

"Alright, grasp onto my Duel Disk. I'll take you back."

"I'm off also," Matt said. "I hope to see you guys later."

"Of course," Will nodded, before vanishing.

"I hate it when he leaves without warning," Neo complained before following.

The others left immediately after that.

-----

Hope took off the Envoyant Machine quickly, jumping up and running off to find her mom right where she thought she would be-the kitchen.

"Mom! Mom!"

"What is it?" she asked, not lifting her eyes from the plate in front of her, where she was slicing up some broccoli.

"We're going to South Carolina, ok?"

"Yes, dear… WAIT, WHAT?!" she yelled, dropping the knife, sending it flying across the counter.

"It's just for a while!" Hope pleaded.

"AND WHY ARE YOU GOING THERE AGAIN?!"

"My friend is still ill, so I want to go back and visit him," Hope lied swiftly.

"And the fee?"

"Again, he paid for it."

"Why would the other three be coming too? I assume they will be?"

"Yeah. They're friends with him too…"

"Hm. Somehow, I get the feeling you are not telling me everything," Ms. Gales sighed. "But alright. I'll look up the plane schedule now. Go pack up."

"Thanks!" Hope said before running back to the others. "All clear! After we get an airplane flight time, we're set!"

"Sounds good. So what do we need to bring?" Larka inquired.

"Nothing. My suitcase is huge… it'll be able to hold on to all of the things you need. Just give me your extra clothes, hair brush, and such, and I'll take care of it."

"Ok then. I'll get that ready."

Gaston looked thoughtful, for once. "Hm… Hope, a thought just occurred to me. I think you should bring your bow and arrows."

"What? Why?"

"We're going to be in the real world, but with all the enemies we've acquired, I have a bad feeling about going around unarmed," he explained.

"That would work, except that airplanes won't let weapons onboard. If I'm caught with it, I'll be fined at the best, thrown in jail at the worst."

"Oh. I kinda forgot about that," Gaston said sheepishly.

"Well, that brings up another problem," Zack pointed out. "How am I going to get on the airplane? Metal detectors won't let me pass, and I can't exactly get rid of the switch blade on my arm."

"Ugh… you're right…" Hope groaned. "There's no way you'll be able to get onto the airplane… any ideas?"

"I don't understand… what is the problem?" asked Larka, confused.

"At the airport, as a safety precaution against weapons, they have metal detectors. If it beeps when you walk through, you have something metal with you, and it has to be confiscated if it's a weapon or something similar."

"Oh…" Larka thought for a few minutes, and then asked, "Do your suitcases go through the metal detectors too, Hope?"

"No. They go through a separate machine. Why?"

Larka giggled. "Hehe! I think I have an idea."

"Please explain," Gaston said.

"Ok, it's simple. We just get a REALLY big suitcase, and have Zack hide in that!"

Everyone stared at her.

"You must be joking," Zack said in disbelief.

"What? I think it would work," Larka grinned.

"Larka, they also look in your suitcases as they go to the plane, to prevent you from hiding things inside," Hope told her.

"Really? Well, let's say he's a prop for a play. That should work, right?"

"You are out of your mind," Zack muttered.

"Actually… that might work!" Hope exclaimed. "Nobody would believe he's a cyborg, anyway, so they could easily think he's a robot or something. Oh gosh, just the idea that we could pull this off is hilarious!"

"I do not find it the least bit funny," Zack informed them dryly.

This was too much for both Hope and Larka. They collapsed laughing while Zack just shook his head in incredulity while Malon cocked his head, puzzled. Gaston looked bewildered, Daine stared up at the ceiling as though it were quite an interesting sight, and Fell just closed his eyes, waiting for them to get back to their senses.

Malon looked over to Gaston and yipped at him.

"I can never understand girls either," he assured the puppy. "Not even when I live with Hope."

Malon blinked a few times at him before giving an irritated growl and turning away, apparently not satisfied with the answer.

Ms. Gales walked into the room. "Hope, WHAT are you doing on the floor?"

"It's nothing mom," she said, getting up. "Did you find out about the airplane times?"

"Yes. As a matter of fact, the next one is leaving in two hours. I managed to reserve tickets over the phone, so pack up and we'll leave immediately."

"Alright. Oh, mom, we need a really, really big suitcase. Do we still have dad's huge one?"

"What? Why on earth would you need that thing?"

"You are not seriously thinking of going through with this?" Zack asked.

"I just need it, mom. Please?"

"Well… if you must bring it, it's under my bed. Good luck trying to carry it. Why he bought it, I will never know…"

"Because he travels a lot, of course," Hope smiled. "Thanks!"

Zack sighed. "It's times like this that I wish I did not have this device inside my body."

"Wow! You actually have a sense of humor!" Larka said.

"I'm being perfectly serious."

Hope left them downstairs, but before packing her bag, went to the computer room and logged on to her email. All she had gotten was an email from Atlus advertising some of its new games. Making a mental note to get Phantom Brave later, she deleted the message and opened up a blank one. She hit a contact on her list, which immediately submitted Draken's email address: BEWDroxxors at hotmail.

"Nice address," Hope muttered as she typed up a brief message to him, putting the subject as _Where__ are you?_

_Draken,_

_We are all concerned about you. Where have you been for the past three days?_

_Something urgent has come up. We are all going to __Myrtle Beach__ at once, besides Miles-he still hasn't shown up. We need you to come too. If you want details first, email me before you leave and I'll tell you why._

_Talk to you soon,_

_Hope_

She read through it once, and after deciding it was good, she sent it and closed the program. Then she went to her room and began packing her bag quickly. The Duel Disk, deck, spare cards, book, all in there along with her other items needed, such as spare clothes. After tossing in what Fell and Larka required, she zipped up the suitcase and went over to her mom's room, dragging out from under the bed a huge, black suitcase. It was rather bland, hard instead of cloth-like, no special features whatsoever, but it was big enough to hold even a full-grown man. Which was what Hope was going after.

There was a pocket on the side of it though, and she slipped her bow and arrows into there. She then managed to pull the suitcase over to the stairs, where Gaston helped her lift it down.

Zack stared at the suitcase. "You have all gone mad."

"It's for Max's sake," Hope told him. "We all need to be there, including you."

"Please?" Larka said. "It's the only way at the moment."

"…I'm never going to forgive any of you for this," he muttered.

"Thanks for finally agreeing!" Larka grinned.

"Look on the bright side. It won't be that bad," Hope assured.

"I'm sure," he said sarcastically.

-----

"You ready Claire?" Rue asked as he came to the front door, dragging his suitcase behind him.

"Yep. What about you?" she inquired.

"Once Ruecian sends the battle axe to Myrtle Beach, we'll be ready to go," Rue assured.

"What? Why do you want to bring that?"

"Just precautions," Rue shrugged. "Ok Ruecian, go ahead!"

Ruecian grasped it, and concentrated for a minute. Then the battle axe was gone.

"Thanks. Well, shall we go?"

-----

A knock sounded on the condo door. Brandi opened it and smiled slightly. "Will, Neo, hi. Come on in."

"You guys made it here quickly," Mana commented.

"That's the advantage of living in the same state," Will said as they walked in. Mana shut the door behind them.

"So we are just waiting for the others now?" Neo asked.

"That's right," Mana nodded.

"I see… AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!" Neo collapsed as the battle axe landed, the blunt side of the blade slamming into his head.

Will couldn't help but laugh at the sight. "I actually feel somewhat sorry for you. That's the second time you've been ambushed by the battle axe."

"Aw shut up…" Neo moaned. "Ow… my head… Would you get this thing off me?"

Will managed to pull it off his Soul Monster. Neo stood up, gingerly examining his head, wincing. "I'm lucky I don't have a concussion… I'm going to have to talk to Ruecian about this when he gets here. Maybe he can improve his aim of where he wants to send that thing."

"Or maybe he intentionally tries to hit you," Will joked.

"…Typical. They just always have to pick on me," Neo muttered.

"It'll take the others a few hours to arrive," Brandi stated. "So you can just relax until then. The living room is over there if you just want to sit down and wait."

"Thanks," Will said, and he went to the living room and pulled out The Outcast of Redwall. This would probably be the last time for a while that he would have enough time to read, so he wanted to take advantage of it.

-----

Many a person in the airport turned to see the strange sight that the three teens and their Soul Monsters made. One of the girls looked normal enough, but the male and female's hair was so long that it was incredible. The fact that one of the Soul Monsters, one they recognized as Elven Swordsman, was dragging along a ridiculously huge suitcase only made their wonder even greater.

Hope was grateful that her mom had left almost instantly. She really hadn't wanted to explain what their idea of getting Zack into the airport was, and she had left before they had deployed it. Now they were off to the security check.

"Geez… if this thing didn't have wheels, I doubt I could even move it," Gaston muttered as he walked on. He was the only one among them who actually had the strength to move the suitcase with its cargo.

"It must get tiring fast," Larka commented.

"Maybe we should call the whole idea off?" a voice from the suitcase said.

"We've already come too far," Hope replied to the suitcase. "Just be patient for a while."

"Easy for you to say," Zack muttered. "You aren't the one who has to stay in the same position in a very small area for over four hours."

Hope did not happen to catch his comment, but turned to Larka and Fell. "Are either of you holding onto something metal?"

"Not me," Larka responded as Fell shook his head. "Why? Because it would be detected by that metal detector thingy?"

"Yeah."

"Are we actually going to be able to bring this huge suitcase onto the airplane?" Larka asked.

"No, it wouldn't fit. Still, we have to go through the security before we can have get this checked. Mom said back when she was young, you checked bags before going through metal detectors, but security is much tighter than back then. With the introduction of Soul Monsters, airports have been even more cautious. Your Soul Cards are not allowed to remain with you on the flight… in fact, they aren't allowed in the airport at all. You have to give them to the people at the metal detectors."

Malon whined softly.

"I can see why… doesn't make me any happier though. But… checking bags… that sounds like they'll look through your luggage," Larka said, confused.

"Sorry, I guess I should explain this better. For bags that aren't going on the plane, you get them put into a separate area. They have to mark your bags and such first though, so you can claim them later. They don't actually go through your stuff."

"Oh…" Larka still didn't seem to quite understand.

"You'll get it once we get there… ah, here we are."

Larka stared in astonishment at the line to the metal detectors. "There's so many people!"

"Yep. We're going to have to wait for a while to get through, but this isn't as bad as it sometimes gets."

They stepped into the end of the line. Larka seemed nervous around all of the people, while Fell kept eyeing them uneasily. Many of the people also had Soul Monsters, which made the line even more crowded. Malon kept whining, so Larka picked him up to comfort him. Daine just looked around at the various people in interest while Gaston kept his eye on the huge suitcase.

Ahead of them was a man in a black business suit and black pants. Underneath his suit was a crisp white shirt and a black tie. He carried a brown briefcase. He had dark brown hair, with a short, neat beard, and dark, hard brown eyes. He kept looking at his watch impatiently.

Accompanying him was a small girl who looked to be about five. She wore a pretty sky-blue dress and hard black shoes. Her dark brown hair went down to a little below her shoulders, and she had beautiful light-blue eyes. Around her neck was a beautiful silver cross that shined in the light. She also had on a small, black backpack. She seemed somewhat depressed about something.

_This girl… she looks like me when I was younger,_ Hope realized. _My eyes are just slightly darker than hers, and my hair a little darker and shorter, but that's about it…_

As though sensing she was being watched, the girl turned around to see them. She glanced at the man beside her, and then smiled over at them. "Hi!"

"Um… hi?" Hope knelt down to be at her eyelevel. "Who are you?"

"My name's Katrina. What about you?"

"Hope. Why did you suddenly start talking to us?"

"You seemed nice," the girl said. "You reminded me of mommy somewhat. She looked a lot like you, and you two seem similar."

"Similar?"

"Yeah." She touched her cross lightly. "Mommy used to always wear this. She said that if we believed in God, then someday we would go to Heaven. So that isn't why I'm sad."

"Why would you be sad?"

"Mommy recently died from a new virus. Daddy says it was over quickly."

"The new one?" Hope asked in horror, remembering what Will had said about it.

"That's right. But she'll be happy now. She never really did like what grandpa did anyway. She said he was wrong to reject the real world."

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Larka inquired.

Katrina turned to her. "Who are you? And who is he?"

"I'm Larka, and that's my brother, Fell."

"Larka… I like you. You make me feel… warm, kind of. Fell, I like you also. But why are you so old?"

Fell blinked. "What?"

"You shouldn't be that tall yet," she said. "Maybe about my height?"

"…I do not understand," Fell told her.

"What isn't there to understand? You should be my height, that's all." She looked over at the suitcase. "Why do you have someone inside there?"

"Huh?" Hope looked over at it nervously. "What are you talking about? Nobody is inside there."

"But I can feel him!" Katrina insisted. "Someone in there is suffering, but he also seems like a nice person."

Luckily, Hope was spared the task of trying to answer her. Her father grasped her by the wrist. "Enough of this Katrina. We're running late. Let's move on."

"But daddy, I'm not done talking to them!" she protested.

"We don't have the time to stay here. Let's go!"

Katrina was dragged away by her father, but she waved to them with her free hand. "Bye bye! I hope I can see you all again someday!"

They stood, staring at where they had been.

"That was odd," Gaston commented.

"At the least…" Hope shook her head. She felt as though there was something important about that girl, but then realized this was no time to think about it. "Guys, we're next. Let's look into this later." She quickly made sure that nobody was looking in their direction, and then bent down to the suitcase. "Zack, you'd best shut yourself down. We need to hope this bluff works."

"Understood. I will do so immediately, and shall regain consciousness in exactly five minutes."

"That should be good," Hope replied. When she received no answer, she stood. "Alright, let's get this over with."

Gaston sighed before grabbing the suitcase again. "Let's also start praying."

They walked over to the metal detector that was farthest to the left. The man sitting behind the computer looked at the humongous suitcase. "Think that thing is big enough?"

"Barely," Hope said cheerfully. "We almost didn't get our cargo to fit into here."

The man gave her a strange look before helping Gaston lift the suitcase onto the belt and then going back to the computer to scan it.

He looked at the screen, and jumped back with a yell. "OH MY GOD!"

Everyone's head turned to them, and the room was completely silent. Hope blushed slightly. "Sorry! It's nothing! Go back to whatever you were doing."

The man nodded. "Yes… nothing…"

Gradually, the people went back to their business. The man however was still staring at Hope. "What the hell is that?!"

"I should have warned you," Hope confessed. "That is a robot that we made to take part in a play. It's supposed to take the role of a human though. Seeing that it fooled you means it should be a success though!"

The man gave the screen another look. "…Uh… I see. I guess. For a minute there, I thought that was a real human…" He examined their other suitcase, and then nodded. "Alright, good. I need you to hand me your Soul Cards now. After that, you may step through the detector."

Gaston and Daine disappeared immediately. Malon whined a bit, but Larka comforted him and he vanished a few seconds later.

Hope went through first. Larka, feeling confident after Hope went through without a problem, followed. Then Fell easily passed through. After that, they went over to get the suitcases.

Hope realized the problem immediately. "Now that Gaston isn't here, we have to somehow get this to the checking area without him. Ugh."

Fell grabbed the large suitcase and pulled it off, managing to put it onto the ground with some effort.

Hope blinked. "Wow. I didn't know you were strong enough to manage to do that." She grabbed the other suitcase, and then led the way to their next destination.

Right before they got in line, Hope bent over to the suitcase. "Zack? Are you awake?"

"Yes."

"We're going to the airplane now. We'll be on the plane for about three hours, so set yourself to wake up about then."

"So we got through the detector area?"

"With just a few problems," Hope grinned. "But nothing too bad. See you in a while."

Then they went to the line. It wasn't nearly as long as the outside line, and they made it to a desk quickly.

"How many bags?" asked the bored-looking woman.

"Two." Hope easily put her suitcase on it, while Fell managed to lift the other one and put it there too.

The woman raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment as she put two tags on them. "You may continue to your gate."

The gate was actually relatively close by, and they found it easily. Just as they arrived, the announcement to board came. They made it on quickly, and were soon sitting in an aisle nearby the front.

Larka looked around the plane. "This is pretty interesting."

"That's a good word for it," Hope agreed as she got out her book. "We should be taking off soon, so just relax until then."

When the engines for the plane came to life, it had an effect Hope hadn't thought of. Larka yelped, clasping her hands over her sensitive ears immediately. Fell didn't exclaim, but he also covered his own ears.

"Sorry! I forgot that the sound would be much worse for you," Hope apologized.

"We'll get used to it…" Larka winced. "I hope we do, anyway."

-----

Gen leaned against a tree, tired from searching around the lake for almost an hour. "No sign of them… I suppose it is possible that they are busy. I'll try looking again tomorrow." Then he teleported out.

-----

Rue rang the doorbell, and was almost immediately answered by Brandi. "Hi. How was the trip?"

"Not bad," Claire replied, walking in.

"Did my battle axe make it?" Rue inquired.

"Oh… it did, but you might not want to talk to Neo anytime soon. He isn't happy about being hit with it for a second time."

Rue laughed at the thought of it. "Again? Poor guy."

"I wouldn't feel sympathy for someone who would want to kill me," Brandi informed him.

"True. Maybe I'd better stay out of his way for a while."

-----

"The worst part is that we'll have to do this again when we're coming back to Illinois," Larka complained as they finally stepped into the airport. "But besides the noise, I think it was pretty fun."

"I enjoy taking flights most of the time," Hope nodded. "But it can be annoying at times. Well, let's get to the baggage claim area. After we grab our bags, we can leave."

When they walked over to the metal detectors, another airport assistant was waiting. "Identifications please."

Hope handed over the three tickets.

"All in order. Here you are." She gave them their three Soul Cards.

Since they would be taking a taxi soon anyway, they didn't bother summoning their Soul Monsters yet. They went downstairs on an escalator (which Larka was fascinated with) and then went to the baggage claim area.

Larka found their suitcase with their items instantly and grabbed it. After about five minutes of waiting, Hope was getting worried that their other suitcase might have been misplaced.

Then it came down, crashing into the ledge. Larka managed to hear Zack snarl, "Ouch!" as it collided. She couldn't help but laugh as she grabbed the handle and pulled it down. Although she nearly dropped it on her foot, she had managed to get it over to where Hope and Fell were.

"Have a good trip?" Hope asked the suitcase innocently.

"…I am never doing this again."

"But you'll have to, to get back to Illinois," Larka pointed out.

"Then I'll get an apartment in South Carolina, or something. I am not going through this again."

"Well… let's talk over this later. Right now, we need to get to Brandi's house."

Once they made it out of the airport, and into an empty area, they finally opened the suitcase. Zack certainly did not seem to be very happy, and he covered his eyes almost instantly to the bright sunlight.

"Like I said, I am not doing that again."

"We'll see," Larka grinned. "So Hope, how do we get on these taxi things?"

Hope waved down a taxi, and after giving the driver directions, they were off. After a while, they finally arrived. Hope paid the driver, and they let their Soul Monsters emerge. While Gaston and Daine were much more calm when they came out, Malon knocked Larka over instantly, yelping joyfully.

In a way, Malon was the doorbell. Brandi heard the commotion and opened the door.

"I see you guys finally arrived," she commented.

"We took our time getting here," Hope admitted. "Sorry about that. Are the others already here?"

"Yes. The only ones we are missing are Miles and Draken, but that's to be expected. Come on inside!"

Larka grabbed Malon and got up, and then they went inside.

"Are Chasity and Ender here?" Hope inquired.

"Yes. Ender is in his room though, and wants to be left alone. Probably to think over all that's happened."

"I don't blame him," Larka said. "That was a lot of information to take at once."

They walked over to the living room, where Rue, Claire, Will, and their Soul Monsters were.

"Hi!" Claire greeted. "We were waiting for you guys to arrive before we talked about what we would be doing."

Hope noticed that Rue didn't appear to be in the best of moods. "What's wrong with you?"

"I had Ruecian teleport my battle axe here, but it landed on Neo. Again." He gingerly felt the top of his head. "That guy can really hurt you when he wants to."

"That battle axe must have hurt ten times more than that," Neo pointed out.

"But you have armor on! Armor for crying out loud! I have… what? A cloth hat. Gee, some protection I'm getting."

"As interesting as this is, can you two wrap up the argument?" Gaston asked. "We need to discuss what we will be doing."

"Wait… can I check something first?" Hope requested.

"What would that be?" Brandi questioned.

"I sent an email to Draken. I want to see if he replied yet."

"Alright then. The computer's right over there," Brandi said, indicating to it.

Hope sat down at the computer, opened an internet window, and went to the MSN website. She signed on to her Hotmail account, and found out she had three emails. One was from Amy, and she made a note to read it later. The second one was an advertisement from Atlus, the video game company that made Disgaea. She had no idea why Atlus kept sending her these irritating emails, and deleted it before looking at her third one. The subject was _RE: Where are you?_

"He's replied!" Hope exclaimed.

"Well, don't keep us in suspense! What does he say?" Rue asked.

Hope read the brief message out loud.

_Hope,_

_Sorry that I've been worrying all of you._

_I wish I could come to __South Carolina__, but I have a pressing matter I must take care of._

_I will explain everything later, because I don't have the time to now. My deepest apologies to you guys._

_If you want to talk with me, I must warn you that I might not be checking my email for some time yet. You can try anyway, but I'm just saying it's possible that it won't work._

_Good luck with whatever you are attempting._

_Sincerely,_

_Draken_

"Argh! That jerk!" Rue growled. "He could have told us earlier that he was ok!"

Claire seemed a bit more worried. "What do you think he means by having a pressing matter?"

"It can't be anything too serious, or he wouldn't have been able to reply," Hope stated, logging off her account and closing the internet window. "Knowing him, he would normally come over to here with no questions until he arrived. This must be a severe thing he has to deal with, but nothing life-threatening."

"Let's hope so," Larka said. "Alright, since everyone who will be coming is here, we should talk about trying to find Max now."

"Where do we start looking? He could be anywhere," Claire pointed out.

"I was thinking of starting with the forest nearby. It's pretty close, and not many people go there, so it's a decent place to start," Brandi explained.

"Should we leave immediately?" Perseus asked.

"Yes, no sense in wasting time."

The door in the living room opened, and Chasity and Hime emerged.

"Brandi! Why didn't you tell us they had arrived?"

Malon barked excitedly and ran over to Chasity, licking her face furiously.

"Hey! Stop that!" she laughed, pushing the dog off of her. "Looks like you haven't changed much."

Malon yipped again.

"He must like the fact that you're his size," Rue joked.

Malon growled, then walked over and bit Rue's leg.

"YEOWCH!" Rue swatted at Malon, but the puppy let go and ran behind Chasity.

"I wouldn't be acting so high and mighty when I beat you in a duel in two turns," Chasity pointed out.

Will got a good laugh out of that. Rue sighed. "Thanks for bringing that up again."

"You were asking for it," Chasity said, petting Malon.

Brandi turned to Hime. "We're going to look for Max. We'll be back either when we find him, or by nightfall. Ok?"

"Alright. Be careful."

"Oh, hold on." Hope reached over into the big suitcase and brought forth her bow and arrows.

"Why are you bringing those?" Claire asked.

"Just to be on the safe side."

"Good call," Rue said, grabbing his battle axe.

Malon licked Chasity's hand one last time, and then ran out through the door, following the others.

"Good luck!" Chasity called as the door shut.

-----

Brandi was leading the way to the forest. Everyone else simply followed in silence. Silence that lasted a grand total of one minute, anyway.

"So how was your trip?" Rue asked them.

"Terrible," Zack answered.

Rue looked over at Hope and Larka, who were laughing, and blinked. "Did I miss something?"

Will caught on instantly. "Wait… Zack, you couldn't get on the airplane, could you? How did you get here?"

"In a very large suitcase," Zack growled.

Will raised an eyebrow while Rue too began to laugh as he imagined it. "That must not have been very comfortable."

"Obviously." Zack still didn't seem very happy.

When they entered the forest, they fell silent again though. They felt sort of tense while in the forest, hoping they would find Max but worried about what kind of condition he would be in.

After wandering for a while with no success, they only got more worried. Daine and Malon were now up beside Brandi, trying to catch a scent of their friend, but so far there had been nothing.

Finally, Daine stopped. "I have caught the scent of another nearby."

"Is it Max?" Larka asked.

"No. I do not recognize this scent. I can lead you to the person, if you wish."

"Please do," Brandi nodded. "Maybe they've seen Max."

"Alright. Follow me."

After a few minutes, Daine halted once more. "There."

Everyone stepped forward to see what he was indicating to.

It was a person in a black cloak. The person appeared to be asleep, for he or she was lying on the ground, leaning against a tree trunk, not moving. The cloak completely covered the person, so they could not be sure.

"Looks like he's asleep," Rue commented.

"Or it might be a she," Will reminded him.

"What should we do?" Gaston inquired.

Brandi looked over at the person, and made her decision. "I'm going to talk to him." Then she started walking towards him.

Zack couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling he was getting. He glanced around the trees, and then saw something that enforced his worries.

A glint of metal.

At that moment, when Brandi was approaching the person, she suddenly tripped over a trip wire, falling to the ground. But Zack was already moving. He managed to cover Brandi just in time.  
Knives flew out from the nearby trees, slamming into Zack. If Brandi had been hit, she would have died instantly. But Zack's metal body caused the knives to do little damage. A few actually impaled him, but as they were metal areas that were not vital, they did not harm him much.

Everyone stared in shocked silence as Zack stepped back, and Brandi shakily got up.

"Brandi! Zack! Are you two ok?" Larka exclaimed.

"I-I'm fine," Brandi stammered.

Zack pulled out a knife that had buried in his left arm. "No serious injuries."

"Damn. Looks like I missed."

They turned to see that the black cloaked figure had stood. He was looking towards Brandi, or at least his head was turned in her direction.

"You… were trying to kill Brandi? But why?" Will asked.

"Actually, anyone would have worked. Having her die would probably help the most though."

"You know who we are?" Larka said nervously.

"Of course I do. I've known for quite some time."

Hope trembled slightly. She was getting a very bad feeling from this person. She didn't need to see his aura to tell her that.

"What do you have against us?" Rue demanded.

"Your existence would be one of the main points," the figure said. Then, as though sensing what Hope was thinking, turned his head towards her.

When Hope saw the man turn towards her, she thought she saw, for a second, an eye. Just for a second. But it was enough.

She cried out in pain, dropping to her knees, holding her head in her hands, shaking uncontrollably.

"Hope! What's wrong?!" Gaston said worriedly, kneeling down next to her. But she was unable to answer, only trying to control the pain lancing through her head.

The man laughed, a dark, cold sounding laugh that caused all but Hope to turn to him. "Unique girl, isn't she? But I don't have the time to spare on her, or the rest of you." He looked over at Zack. "I came to kill Brandi, but you have irritated me. You shall be the first to witness my power." He held out his arm, and strapped to it was a Duel Disk. He inserted his deck. "This will be the easiest way to take care of you."

"And if I refuse?" Zack questioned.

"Then you will die instantly. Doesn't look like you have much choice now, correct?"

_He doesn't know how right he is,_ Zack thought as he wordlessly inserted his own deck.

"I knew you wouldn't be _able _to deny my challenge. Let us begin."

The way he said that made Zack even more concerned. _He sounds like he knows about my structure… but how can he?_

"Can you at least tell us your name?" Claire asked nervously.

"I suppose… call me Thanatos."

"Thanatos? Isn't that Greek for death?" Will realized.

"Trust you to know that. Yes, it is. Now, enough stalling."

Zack: 8000

Thanatos: 8000

"Who's first?" Zack inquired.

"You may."

"Alright… I lay three cards down. That's all."

The figure looked at the card he had drawn. "Quite a good start, if I do say so myself. I play Terra Forming, allowing me to search my deck and add a field magic card to my hand." He selected one and quickly shuffled his deck. "Then I play the field magic, Lair of Ten-Thousand Demon Lords!"

The ground from beneath them cracked open, and a golden battlefield came out. The sky turned red and orange, not like a sunset, but like a storm coming this way. It was like the scene of a dark ritual. It made them all very uneasy.

"What does it do?" Zack asked.

"You'll find out soon enough. I will then summon Warrior of Zera. (1600/1600)"

"What? Why would he use Warrior of Zera?" Claire said, confused. "That's for special summoning Archangel Zeraato, but this guy doesn't seem like one who would use an Angel deck."

Will paled. "I think I know what he's trying to do. There's another monster Warrior of Zera can special summon, and it fits him perfectly."

"You are as well versed on your Angel cards as ever, Will. I sacrifice Warrior of Zera to special summon Devil Mazera!"

A wicked creature with large, green wings emerged. Its bottom half was a dark blue, with a long tail that could easily crush though any monster standing in front of it. There was also a yellow jewel at its waist which gleamed cruelly. Its upper part was brown, with green hands and claws, and a green helmet-like object over its head. The helmet also had two red horn-like things. Its eyes were a sickening red. (2800/2300)

"This will not end well," Gaston muttered.

"When Devil Mazera is special summoned, you lose three random cards from your hand. Quite useful, isn't it?"

"I only have three cards…" Zack said. "I lose my KA-2 Death Scissors, 7 Cards, and Machine King…"

"Now, Devil Mazera attacks."

"I will halt him with Destruction Ring. He's destroyed, and we both take damage equal to his attack power."

Zack: 5200

Thanatos: 5200

Even as his monster was blown up before his own eyes, Thanatos did not seem the least bit concerned. "It was a small sacrifice to leave you in such a vulnerable position. And I will make any sacrifices necessary to win. What other purpose are pawns here to play? I lay one card down, and end my turn."

Zack glanced at the one card in his hand tensely. "I activate my other trap card, Cry of the Living Dead. This will bring my Machine King back from the Cemetery. (2200/2000) He also powers himself up by 100 attack points due to his own effect; for every Machine Sub-Type on the field, he gains 100 more attack. (2300/2000) I also summon Drillago. (1600/1200) This powers up Machine King again. (2400/2000) Machine King attacks directly. And then Drillago does as well."

Thanatos did not even flinch as the Machine King's powered up fist struck him and as the drills hit him.

Zack: 5200

Thanatos: 1200

"That's all I can do."

"Hm… where to begin. First, I will use Early Burial on Warrior of Zera. This may cost me 800 Life Points, but it does bring back my monster. Then I sacrifice it to special summon another Devil Mazera. (2800/2300) As you can see, I always have back up in case one falls. Normally, he would force you to discard three cards again, but you don't seem to have a hand."

"Damn it," Zack muttered as Devil Mazera emerged.

Zack: 5200

Thanatos: 400

"Then I summon Demon Soldier. (1900/1500) Demon Soldier attacks Drillago, and Devil Mazera attacks Machine King."

Zack: 4400

Thanatos: 400

"I also lay one card face down, and end my turn."

"Hm… I hate gambling, but it's my only chance now. I summon Roulette Bomber. (1000/2000) When this monster is on the field during my Main Phase, I roll two dice. Then I choose one of the dice and destroy a monster with that level. So now, I roll…"

The dice clattered onto the field. One landed on a three. The other landed on four.

"Excellent. I'll destroy Demon Soldier. Then I end my turn."

"A pathetic attempt to stay alive. I summon Shadow Knight Demon. (2000/1600) Fortunately for you, damage Shadow Knight Demon does to your Life Points is halved. But it is still strong enough to take out your Roulette Bomber. Shadow Knight Demon destroys it, and Devil Mazera attacks directly."

Although holograms weren't supposed to be able to severely hurt the players, it wasn't exactly painless for Zack to have Devil Mazera thrust his claws right through his body.

Zack: 1100

Thanatos: 400

"This is too close for comfort…" Rue commented.

"There's still a chance that he could win," Perseus stated. But he too seemed worried.

"I agree. We must not jump to conclusions just yet," Daine said.

Malon whined, pawing at Larka. She picked him up absentmindedly. She was much more concerned with how the duel was coming.

Hope was still in pain, but it was fading away slowly. She didn't want to risk trying to stand up yet, so she looked at the battlefield from the ground, carefully keeping her gaze averted from Thanatos.

Zack examined his next card. "Yet another risk, but again, I must take it. This could win, or lose, the game for me. I summon Magical Reflector Reflect Bounder! (1700/1000) And then I end my turn…"

"Going down fighting? I'm afraid it will do you no good." Thanatos drew his next card.

"Hold on!" Will interrupted. "What about your Shadow Knight Demon's cost? I thought all the Chess Demon cards had to be paid for with certain Life Point amounts."

"Ah yes… that idiot, Echecs, did mention that, didn't he? But my Lair of Ten-Thousand Demon Lords makes it so that I do not have to pay any more Life Points for my Demons."

"You know about Echecs? That's impossible!" Neo protested.

"I thought all of you would have realized that we have passed over the line of reality, after all of the things that have occurred." He examined what he had drawn. "I summon Genocide King Demon. (2000/1500)"

Brandi, seeing the Genocide King Demon emerge, was reminded of Olympion instantly, which brought back all of her worries for Max. This duel was wasting time that they could be using to search for him…

"What will he be able to do for you?"

"Well, this monster does have the ability to negate effects of monsters that he destroys… but I had something a bit more painful in mind. I activate Diskabado Attack. By sacrificing a card with Demon in its name, my Genocide King Demon is allowed to attack directly. So I sacrifice Shadow Knight Demon, and Genocide Demon King has the pleasure of finishing you off."

Zack: 0

Thanatos: 400

"Ironic, is it not?" Thanatos said with another cold laugh.

Nobody was able to say anything as they watched Zack lift himself from the now normal ground. When the duel had ended, the golden battlefield had left as well.

_What does he mean, ironic?_ Hope thought. By now, she was feeling almost normal again. _Wait… could it be… no… but… I saw it… I'm sure I did…_

Thanatos picked up one of the knives that had fallen near him, testing its edge lightly. "So, now we come down to this," he announced to the horrified watchers. "By full right, since I have won this duel, I would be able to kill your friend right here if I desired."

None of them could bring themselves to say anything, in fear of having Zack's fate be worse. There was nothing any of them could do, anyway. But Zack almost felt a sense of relief. _It seems I will finally get my wish…_ Then he remembered Crystal, talking with him in the church. _But… is this what I really want? I have wanted to die for years… I can't begin doubting that now, when I am finally granted the opportunity… _

Thanatos stepped forward, holding the knife up. "However… it is no fun to kill the willing." Then he brought the knife down.

In the split second before the knife connected, Zack was close enough to Thanatos to see under his hood. And his eyes connected with Thanatos'. Eyes that foretold of pain and death that he would deliver.

_No! It can't be!_

And the knife entered the most vulnerable area in Zack; his neck. Everyone winced at the scream of pain that followed.

_So… it comes… to this… they have… to realize…_ Then he collapsed.

"No…" Larka whispered.

Thanatos heard her. "You don't need to worry about him. He's still alive. But the rest of you will not escape. One by one, you shall fall, so feel fortunate that even one of you will be spared. For now, at least." Then he turned around. "Yes, that was quite entertaining. I'm sure the next attack will be much better though. So watch for me…" Then he began to walk away.

"No! You aren't going anywhere!" Hope yelled, firing her bow. While he had been talking, she had loaded her bow without him noticing. Or maybe he did notice, but didn't care. She didn't know, but she wasn't going to let him leave until she confirmed her suspicions.

Thanatos jumped aside, but the arrow still caught the hood of his cloak, tearing it away and revealing his face to them.

Once more, everyone was speechless. But for a good reason. For seeing that the one who had almost killed their companion was once one as well was certainly shocking. But in a way, Hope had already known who he was.

Max. But his eyes were no longer Max's. Thanatos' bloodshot eyes were indeed those that spoke of a desire for death.

Brandi tried to say something, but it was like she had forgotten how to speak. She couldn't even remember how to.

"Max… but how?!" Rue shouted.

"Max? He is dead. Max no longer exists. His body is now mine." He turned again. "I have some business to take care of. If you have any other questions, save them for the next time we meet. That is, if you live long enough to ask them."

"Max! You can't leave again!" Brandi exclaimed, and leapt at him at a very fast speed. They couldn't even see her very well.

Yet when she leapt at him, Thanatos casually caught her leg and slammed her into the ground. "You think you can harm me with attacks in slow motion? None of you can hope to injure me. Compared to any of your pathetic fighting skills, I am a god. I suggest accepting that fact before I see you all again." Then he ran into the forest, fading from sight.

The tears Brandi shed were from pain. But that pain was not only because of her torn legs. Her heart was hurting her far worse.

And Hope was not sure if the solitary tear she herself shed was for two injured companions or for what Max had become.

To be continued…


	3. Thoughts

Sorry for the big long wait. Again. I bet you aren't buying my excuses anymore? –Gets slammed with a coffee maker- Ow… guess not… but here's the update anyway!

John: Is Thanatos the true villain? Only time will tell.

Demon Fan: Yeah, he is a great author.

Sean Oetter: I am glad you enjoy the story. Thank you for trying to help, but please keep these things in mind. I will continue to use their full, Japanese names, because in my eyes, those are better. And I already know all their effects. As for asking if the others will come… I'll leave you to reach a conclusion.

Dragran: Yep. Poor Max. He always seems to be the tortured one.

DarkFictionWizard: Um… no comment? P

**Chapter 3: Thoughts**

It was silent, except for Brandi's crying. Nobody knew what to say. In one day, three of their own were either injured or… dead? Was Max really gone?

Mana and Larka both came to their senses at about the same time. Mana went to Brandi, and began to heal her torn legs, while Larka knelt down to look over Zack.

"I can't tell how serious this is…" Larka sighed. "I don't even know how we can try to help…"

"We can't," Hope said, coming out of her thoughts gratefully. The more she thought about Thanatos, the more that she thought Max might truly be… "We know next to nothing about cyborgs, so really, the only person who can help Zack is himself."

Meanwhile, Mana had finished healing her friend. "How are you feeling?"

By now, Brandi had finally stopped crying, but now she was in some kind of a daze and refused to respond to Mana's question.

"We should get back to Brandi's home…" Will suggested. "Brandi and Zack need rest, for one, and we need to decide on what we can do."

In response, Gaston went over to Zack. "Hey, Ruecian! Would you mind helping out with this?"

Ruecian stepped over to assist while Mana tried to coax Brandi into rising. "Come on Brandi. We need to get home. Why won't you answer me?"

Brandi just looked at where Thanatos had vanished blankly.

Mana sighed, and then, seeing that Brandi would probably not be heeding her for a while, picked her up.

Malon was also frightened, whining constantly. Larka lifted him, trying to coax the puppy.

"How are we going to leave though?" Rue asked. For once, he was completely serious. "Brandi knew the way, but she is in no state to tell us."

"I believe I can recall the route," Daine volunteered. "Shall I?"

"Please," Claire nodded.

Surprisingly, they made good progress. Although Gaston, Ruecian, and Mana had to help carry their companions, they were still able to keep up a good pace, and soon they were out of the forest, heading towards the condo.

Hope went up and knocked on the door. In a few seconds, Hime opened it, and caught sight of their two disabled members instantly. "What happened?"

"We were attacked," Will said shortly. "Zack is currently unconscious, and we have no idea on how to help him. Brandi should be ok physically, since Mana healed her, but mentally…"

Hime stood aside to let them in, closing the door behind Fell, the last one to come in. "Mentally? How so?"

"We were attacked by someone called Thanatos," Hope explained as they headed for the living room. "But he… he looked like Max. Except for these eyes… some of the most evil eyes I've ever seen… you would have to see to understand…"

"Was it really Max?" Hime asked worriedly.

"We don't know…" Neo said sadly. "He claimed Max had died, and he now had control of his body… but we can't be sure if he's telling the truth or not."

"I see…" By now, they had arrived in the living room. Gaston and Ruecian lowered Zack onto the couch, where he laid unconscious. Everyone else sat down in various places, whether it was on a chair or the floor. Mana, however, left the room almost instantly.

"Where is she going?" Rue wondered.

"Probably to Abby's room," Hime replied. "That's the room she sleeps in, at least for now. But please, tell me more about what happened."

Will told the tale to Hime, but Larka could not focus on it. She was concerned for Zack and Brandi. She couldn't do anything for Zack, but if there was a way she could help Brandi…

The story was complete, and silence filled the room once more. Larka got up. "I'm going to check on Brandi."

"Alright," Hope said. Nobody else responded, but watched as she left the room, still carrying Malon.

She walked down the hall, and knocked lightly on the door at the end.

"Who is it?" Mana asked.

"Larka. Can I come in?"

"For a minute."

Larka went inside, shutting the door after herself. "Brandi… are you doing any better?"

Brandi lay on the bed, leaning against the headboard. She didn't respond.

"I'm really worried," Mana commented. She was sitting on the edge of the bed. "She hasn't said anything to me…"

Larka nodded. "Alright." Then she sat down next to Brandi, who watched her silently.

"Brandi, listen to me. I'm sure this is devastating to you, realizing what has happened to Max. But you can't give up hope yet. We have no reason to trust Thanatos-for all we know, Max is still alive, just being possessed. If that is the case, we have to help him somehow. You're one of the ones who knows Max the best. If someone has to try to get Max back, you are probably the one who can do it. This isn't just physical fighting; to save Max, you'll need to probably help him mentally as well. And to do that, you need to be strong. You will have to face Thanatos, and as terrifying as that might seem, I know you can do it. You care about Max too much to fail."

Brandi had been staring at her as she talked, and now she shook slightly. Then, she suddenly seized Larka, crying heavily.

Mana seemed somewhat shocked at her reaction, but Larka understood, and tried to comfort her. After all, she too had a brother she constantly worried about. When it got too much, she was tempted to do what Brandi was doing now. So she let Brandi continue to cry. "It's alright… it'll be ok… Max isn't gone yet. Somehow, we'll make sure he comes back. So just try to relax… alright?"

Brandi finally let go of her, laying back down, her face buried in the pillows, trying to stop her tears but failing.

"I guess… it's an improvement…" Mana blinked. "At least she's showing emotion now. Thanks for helping, but I think she needs some time alone now."

"Probably… tell us how she's doing later," Larka replied. Then she left the room, shutting the door behind her once more.

"How's Brandi doing?" Hope asked as Larka entered the room again.

"She just needs to be by herself for a while," Larka assured, picking up Malon. "It'll be fine."

"Good," Claire said. "In the meantime, I think we should rest up."

"No kidding! We had to be on an airplane flight, trek through a forest, and nearly be killed all in one day!" Rue complained. "I don't know about the rest of you guys, but I'm ready for some sleep."

"Where do we sleep, anyway?" Will wondered.

At that very moment, Mana came in. "I just realized you needed that information. There's a foldout bed in the sofa that can have up to three people. Sorry, but I'm afraid the rest of you will have to sleep on the floor." Then she left, going back to Brandi's room.

Hope, Claire, and Larka looked at each other, before chorusing, "We call the bed!"

"What? Hey!" Rue protested.

"They did manage to all say it at the same time just by making eye contact," Will commented. "I think they win."

"Cheapskates," Rue muttered.

Gaston and Ruecian got Zack off the sofa, laying him gently in the corner of the room, away from the door. They really didn't know what else they could do.

"Poor Zack… this has got to be a great way to recover from an injury. Just sleep on the floor," Larka commented.

"I don't think that will effect him very much," was Rue's response. He lay down on the floor, calling Ruecian back to his Soul Card. There wasn't enough room for all the Soul Monsters to fit with the humans there.

All of the other Soul Monsters vanished, except for two. Malon absolutely refused to go back into his Soul Card, especially since he already had that day at the airport. Seeing that he would be able to sleep on the bed anyway, Larka finally let him stay with her. Daine was the other one, but the cause was apparent when he and Fell left to go outside.

"He STILL sleeps on the roof?" Rue said in disbelief.

"Yes. It's just something he can't help," Larka stated, getting into the bed.

"Still as weird as ever," Rue muttered. "And cold. I have to wonder why he even bothers sticking around with us."

"He's trying to figure out what his emotions are," Larka answered. "Or at least, that is my theory. He has never been able to trust anyone but me, Malon, and Daine. He needs time to be able to get used to the rest of you, to actually accept you all as friends."

"I'm sure," Rue said before closing his eyes.

And soon, they were all fast asleep.

-----

As always, Gen knocked before entering, but it was more out of politeness than anything.

And as always, Miles was distant as he leaned against the headboard of his bed, seeing Gen come in but not responding.

"I went to Teknisk Wereld to tell the others you were still ok, but they were not there. I am getting slightly concerned. What if they are in trouble?"

"…Check again tomorrow," Miles said, closing his eyes. "We can't panic because they were missing for one day. They're strong. They can handle anyone who tries to harm them."

"You are sure?"

"Well, there's nothing I can do anyway," Miles stated. "They're better off without me… everyone is… I shouldn't even be alive right now, damn it. The only reason I haven't committed suicide yet is because I'm a coward. I'm not brave enough to end it all yet…"

"It was an accident. You need to quit blaming yourself for it," Gen told him. "You didn't mean to kill them all. It wasn't your fault. But if your friends die, then that can readily be blamed on us, for not doing anything to help them."

"What are a few more deaths? They will only increase the weight of the many sins I cannot repent." Miles stared up at the ceiling. "I don't want anymore deaths… that is why I won't go near them. Yeah, they'll be fine as long as I don't weigh them down… and this way, I won't have to kill anyone else…"

Gen couldn't find a response to that, so he walked back out of the room, closing the door.

_It's no use. I've waited for almost a month, hoping he would get over what he had done. No, not get over. Accept. Accept that he had been the one who murdered them so he can move on. And he did admit that he had been the one to do it, but he refuses to see anyone but me. At this rate, he will stay here for the rest of his life, never leaving. This is just getting out of hand. I can't do this on my own… I'll need the help of some of the only friends he's ever had. When they come onto Teknisk Wereld again, I'll ask them to help… If they come on again soon. I hope they do… because I'm getting a bad feeling about them being gone…_

-----

Draken walked back outside, making sure he closed the door softly, then went down the hall.

Darche was in the living room, waiting for him.

"Status?" Draken asked.

"Doing much better. It's only a matter of time. What about you?"

"Worse, I'm afraid. We'll have to stay for at least a week, if not longer." Draken sighed. "I was hoping we could go to South Carolina soon, but it's out of the question. Oh, have they sent any more emails?"

"None. If they do, I'll tell you."

"Thanks. Well, I'd best get back. I can't get many breaks, unfortunately," he said.

"Understandable."

And they parted, going back to what they had been doing.

-----

It was ten minutes before midnight when she stepped into the clearing she had been told to wait at, flanked by two guards. Although this was to be a negotiation, there really wasn't any way to get around the fact that the one she was meeting with could very easily turn on her at any second. Her guards seemed intimidating enough in appearance. They wore black shoulder armor, along with a red short-sleeved shirt with a high collar, and dark blue pants. Brown boots and a silver armor piece over each elbow also was part of their outfit. They also had on black fingerless gloves. Although they might have appeared rather low-equipped, their clothes let them be fast while still being protected from blows that did connect. But even though they had on good equipment, they were still very nervous, and were unable to relax.

For the ten minutes they waited, the woman stood perfectly still, while the guards glanced around the forest uneasily.

Then the one they had been waiting for leapt out, grabbing one of the guards and snapping his neck, and landing in front of the woman and the remaining guard, where he calmly put down the corpse of the guard.

As quick as he had been, the other guard did not realize what had happened until he saw the body, and stumbled back, staring in horror. But the woman did not even flinch. In fact, although her face was emotionless as ever, she did seem pleased.

"You are just as strong as you claimed, Thanatos."

"I do not suggest doubting my capabilities again," Thanatos said.

"Of course not. Already you have proved your worth. Now, here is what we need. Kill the ones that are in your group any way you like. It doesn't matter to us how you do it, as long as they are all dead in the end. And in return, you will gain the things you desire. To speed up the process, you may have this." She handed Thanatos a syringe.

Thanatos looked at it, then back at her. "Hm… this ought to be an interesting device to try out."

"Use it wisely. It isn't very hard to get, but I don't know when I'll be able to give you another."

"I don't even need it. It will just make the process of slaying them much more enjoyable, if it works as it should."

"It will. The only time it has failed was because of a rather rare case that will not occur again."

Thanatos smirked. "I see. Very well then. I will report to you once I am done."

"We are on a schedule that we cannot afford to delay," she responded. "So please deal with them as soon as possible."

"It isn't like I have anything better to do."

"Of course. Oh, I was also told to give you this." She brought out a Duel Disk, but not like the standard model. This one was pitch black, with green lines running down it. On top of where the deck went, there was a purple line that formed the outer shape of an eye. The monster zones seemed the same, but that did not change the evil feeling the Duel Disk carried.

"An interesting device."

"And a worthy one, for those that wish to kill. But remember this. If you fail, or betray us, your sister will be the one to suffer the consequences. She will be begging for death to come when we are done with her."

Thanatos laughed coldly, causing the living guard to shiver. The women did not seem phased. "As you wish… it is not as though I care."

"Very well then. Until next time." She turned, leaving the clearing, her remaining guard hastening to catch up. She had not even spared the corpse a glance.

"Boss… I'm surprised you're letting him do this…" the guard said nervously. "I thought that you… wanted to…"

"More than anything. But we must dispose of all of them quickly, and this is the best way. If I get a chance to though, believe me, I will…"

-----

Larka was woken up when she heard footsteps coming into the room. She looked over to see Brandi walk in, and got out of the bed. She nodded to the hall, and Brandi, taking the hint, went out into it, Larka following while carrying a sleepy Malon.

"Hi. Are you feeling better?" Larka whispered.

"…A little," Brandi replied. "Um… thanks for helping me yesterday."

"I was happy to. I'm glad I could actually help." Larka thought for a minute, and then finally decided to ask her question. "I'm sorry if this is kind of personal… but I want to know. Will you be helping us fight Thanatos?"

Brandi remained silent for a few minutes before finally speaking. "Yes. He is not my brother. If possible, I want to save Max. If that can't be done… then I will kill Thanatos myself, if I am able to."

"I see," Larka said. "Let us hope that will not be the case." She smiled. "Glad to have you with us."

"Heh… yeah… what have I missed?"

"Well, yesterday we decided that we would make plans today on what to do against Thanatos. So you will talk with us, right?"

"Yes," Brandi nodded. "When do we start?"

"After we eat, I believe."

One by one, the others woke up as well. They didn't really have the time to eat anything extravagant, so most of them had bagels. There was bacon also, but that was mainly for Fell and Larka, since the only thing they ate was meat.

"I'm going to be really sick of bagels by the time we're done with our campaign of 'saving the world'," Rue joked as he put his plate on the counter.

"You aren't tired of them yet? I envy you," Hope said dryly.

"I'm just grateful that I'm getting to eat something. Usually I'm not able to," Will stated, glaring at Neo.

Neo looked away from Will's piercing stare. "Um… I didn't do it?"

"I thought I taught you not to lie," Will muttered as he finished eating.

When they were all ready, they went back to the living room to discuss what to do next. Hope started the conversation.

"It seems that we have come across an enemy that we just can't win against. Even if we were strong enough to defeat him-which we aren't, at the moment-then we would be killing one of our best friends. It's a lose-lose situation. Any ideas?"

"We capture him?" Larka suggested.

"If it's possible, that's great. But it doesn't seem like it will work too well," Rue pointed out.

"We figure out how to get Thanatos to return to being Max, and do it before he slaughters us," Will said.

"Probably our best bet," Hope agreed. "But how do we pull it off?"

"Well… Max is very emotionally attached to Brandi, right? So let's have her try to talk with him," Neo proposed.

"Yeah, that really worked yesterday," Rue said sarcastically.

"She didn't have much time to try that then," Claire argued. "It's the best idea so far. What do you think Brandi?"

"I can try," she shrugged.

Larka looked over at Hope. _Hm__… is Brandi really the right choice for that though? After all, when Max had amnesia, he remembered not Brandi, but Hope. But I can't bring that up. Brandi doesn't need to be reminded of that. Sure, it might not faze her, but her emotions are so easily changed at this moment._

"Ok, so talking would work. But what if Thanatos kills us before we can even try?" Gaston inquired.

Will sighed. "I don't really… like this idea, but it might be necessary to weaken Thanatos before we try anything. You know… injure him in a non-vital area. It would probably lower his defenses. Hopefully, Max could heal when Thanatos is gone. Does anyone disagree with this?"

He had expected at least Brandi to raise an objection, but she said nothing.

"Alright then… our next problem is where to find…"

He was interrupted by a knock on the door. Malon jumped out, barking and howling as he ran towards the door, while Daine stood up calmly.

"It looks like Matt has arrived," he informed the others.

"Then why is Malon going crazy?" Claire asked.

"He always goes nuts, no matter who it is," Larka explained as they went to the door. "We learned this pretty quickly. I'm afraid the poor mailman still hasn't recovered from the shock he got from when Malon attacked him. And the neighbors weren't too happy to realize their mail had been chewed, torn, and eaten by Malon."

Larka grabbed her Soul Monster, pulling him away from the door so that Hope could open it. Matt raised an eyebrow at Malon, who now gave a few friendly barks.

"He's happy to see you," Larka told him.

"Could have fooled me." He closed the door behind him. "Nice to see you guys again, although I wish the circumstances were better."

"Yeah. Do you know about Thanatos?" Rue asked.

"Mana called me last night to explain." He shook his head. "I want to help if I can… I'm aware that I can't do much, seeing as I'm doing so much at this time. But I can help in other means, such as helping you revise your decks."

"You have enough cards to do that?" Rue said doubtfully.

In response, Matt took out a huge black bag and put it on the ground, unzipping it to reveal piles upon piles of cards.

"Forget I even asked," Rue muttered, staring in disbelief.

Matt closed it again. "I can also provide moral support and such. If there's any other way I can assist, please tell me. Ok?"

"Of course," Claire replied.

Matt looked over at Brandi. "Are you going to be able to go through with this?"

"I will… for his sake…" Brandi said.

Before Matt could reply, another knock sounded. Larka nearly fell over when Malon lunged, trying to break free of her grip, howling again.

"NOW what?" Perseus wondered.

"I do not recognize this person," Daine stated. "However, I think it will be alright. Open the door."

Hope did so, revealing a women who looked to be in her twenties. She wore a red dress with black shoes. Her shoulder-length hair was red, and her eyes green.

"Sorry, we aren't buying," Rue said.

Claire smacked him over the head. "Quit being an idiot. We don't know if she's a saleswoman."

"I'm not," the women stated dryly as she stepped inside. "Hi Matt."

"Glad to see you," Matt nodded. "You came pretty quickly."

"Well, you did say it was urgent."

"Um… did I miss something?" Neo asked.

"I think we all did," Will commented.

Brandi had been glancing at the women, and she finally could not stay silent. "Matt! WHAT is the meaning of this?! I never thought that you, of all people, would…"

"Whoa, hold on," Matt interrupted. "You don't understand who she is."

"I think I full well understand!"

"No, you don't. Everyone, this is my sister, Lilian. I called and asked her to come over here."

"…Oh…" Brandi blushed, and looked away in embarrassment.

"Nice to meet you all," Lilian said, choosing not to comment on Brandi's reaction.

"Same to you," Hope replied.

"I called her because I wanted her to look after Abby. I've been really busy lately, and I just don't have as much time to help as before. Besides, she'll be better at helping her than me."

"How so?" Gaston asked.

"I am actually a nurse," Lilian explained. "I am hoping that I can help Abby recover."

"Good luck with that," Hope said.

"Thanks. Matt, should I see her now?"

"Please do so as soon as possible."

"Alright, then I'm off. Bye all," she said before walking outside.

Larka finally set Malon down. "Now that that is over… what next?"

"I'll help remake your decks now, if you want," Matt volunteered.

"That'd be cool," Rue nodded. "Who first?"

"We'll decide that once we get back to the living room."

After sitting down again, Hope handed Matt her deck. "If you don't mind, I'd like to have mine looked at first."

"Sure…" Matt went through them quickly. "Standard Warrior deck… plenty of strong attackers, and some defenders… good effects… nice support magics… decent traps… wow, even a side deck. Hm… I'd say most of your problems are in your choices of monsters. I mean, what is a Blindly Loyal Goblin doing in your side deck?"

"I'd like to know myself," Hope said sheepishly.

Matt handed her a pile of cards. "These should contain some better Warriors somewhere. I'll look again when you're done. Alright, who next?"

"I will." Rue took out his deck.

"A Black Magician deck? Good monsters… decent magics… decent traps. Start working on the magic and traps section." Matt gave him back his deck and another pile of cards.

Before he could ask, Claire handed over her deck.

"Angels? Wait, why is there a Saint Magician in here then?"

"It's a Light Main-Type," Claire shrugged. "And she's been helpful."

"Still, it kind of kills the theme. I advise changing them. Otherwise, it looks pretty good… next?"

Will held out his.

"Magic Users, eh… oh gosh. WHAT are you trying to do with this deck? I can't even tell what you're trying to do with this!"

"It's both offensive and defensive. It also uses several magic cards to support magic counters."

"Ugh… seriously, you can do better than this. Please, if you want to live through duels, rebuild this deck now." He took out a much bigger stack of cards and handed it to Will. "Make a theme this time, besides random Magic Users."

"How about me?" Larka asked.

"Well, let me see… a Light deck? Eh… no offense, but this could use work too. You have some good effect monsters, such as Reflect Bounder, but what the heck is an X-Head Cannon doing there? It may have a high attack for a Light monster, but that's no excuse. The magic and traps are fine, but work on the monsters."

Fell silently took out his own.

"Dark… nice contrast of your sister's I suppose… ok, hold the phone. WHAT are you trying to do with this deck? I mean… ugh. Is this supposed to be some kind of a horrible Beatdown? No, this really needs work. Really. I'm sorry, but I cannot stand Beatdowns. Yes, I realize my choices were somewhat limited when you built the deck, but you could have easily rebuilt it over the last month. Either way, get to work on it. Brandi? You're the last one."

"What about Zack's deck?" Larka inquired. "He isn't going to be able to revise it…"

"I'll leave these here," Matt said, gesturing to another pile. "He does use a Machine deck, right? These should help. Anyway… most of your deck is good Brandi. I don't see much to criticize, although you might be able to make a few better choices in the monster department. Look through these to see if there's anything better. I guess that's everyone…"

"I think I'm done," Hope said, giving him back the spares she had not used.

"Let me see again. Ok, good, at least you had the sense to take out Blindly Loyal Goblin… heh. Interesting changes you made."

"What did you do?" Rue asked.

"You think I'll tell you so you can put cards in your deck to counter them?" Hope accused.

"It was worth a try," Rue sighed.

"I'll give you one thing; your deck is very balanced. Good work on that, if not anything else. Anyone else done?"

"Check this out." Rue handed Matt his deck.

"I see them already… yeah, good. Ok, you're ready. You done Claire?"

"Yep."

"Hm… alright, it works. Will?"

"I'm not done yet," he said without looking up.

"I am though." Larka offered her own deck.

"Ah… yeah, much better."

"I am not going to change anything," Brandi told him.

"That's fine. Will? Fell?"

"Finally done," Will sighed.

"Yes… this is very improved. Good."

Then Fell handed his to him.

"Well, it's better than what it was before," Matt shrugged. "If this is your theme, then go with it." He got up, zipping up his bag again. "So, any questions?"

Nobody responded.

"Then I have to go to work. Yeah, it might not seem very important when compared to Max's life, but I do have to continue with my job. All I can say is good luck."

"Thanks," Hope said.

"I think she speaks for all of us," Claire added.

"Not a problem. I'll catch up with you guys later." He gave Brandi a quick kiss. "Don't give up. He'll come back somehow." Then he left.

A few minutes of silence followed, in which the others were putting away their decks. Then someone finally broke the quiet.

"Well… now that we have that out of the way… should we start trying to find Thanatos?" Gaston suggested.

"My dear friend, that is a GREAT idea. There's just one flaw-we have no idea of where to look," Rue pointed out.

"I suppose not…" Gaston sighed.

Then Malon suddenly leapt up, but instead of barking, let out what sounded like a cross between a snarl and a yelp. Then he ran to Larka, trembling.

"What is it?" Larka asked in concern.

Daine glanced over at the direction of the door. "It looks like we will have no trouble finding Thanatos now."

"He's outside?!" Rue exclaimed.

"Only one way to find out," Perseus stated.

Rue cautiously opened the door, stepping outside. "…Nope. Nobody here. I'm not sure whether I should be happy or sad."

"But why would he come here then?" Larka asked.

Fell had noticed something the others hadn't though. He went to the front of the door, and calmly pulled off a dart that was stuck to the door.

"What is that?" Neo inquired.

In response, Fell handed the dart and the paper attached to it to Will, who scanned it quickly before reading it out loud.

"One of you has been defeated. How long will it take for the rest of you? If you wish to rush to your deaths, come to the beach nearby your current location at noon today. Signed, Thanatos."

To be continued…


	4. Mystery of the Vial

My gosh! A fast update! Miracles do happen!

John: Huh? Who are you talking about? And what do you mean, you were right?

Demon Fan: Your wish is my command! One fast update at your service!

**Chapter 4: Mystery of the Vial**

Back in the living room, they all pondered the strange note that had been left.

"It has to be a trap," Neo stated.

"It's likely," Rue agreed. "But we might not get another chance like this. If we're going to take down Thanatos, we have to know where he is, right? So let's go after him."

"Easier said then done," Claire pointed out. "He has had time to prepare for this, while we don't. If we are to find him, then we have to leave in about ten minutes."

"But in a way, we did prepare," Larka said. "Our decks have been upgraded, and if all goes well, that will be the only thing we need against Thanatos. If we defeat him in a duel, maybe he will be forced to change back into Max."

"That's if luck is on our side. And since when have we had luck?" Rue asked.

"A surprising amount of times," Hope replied. "So are we going to go there?"

"I don't know… I have a really bad feeling about this…" Will said. He couldn't explain why, but he felt a deep sense of dread in going to meet Thanatos this time. Was it fear? No… something he couldn't describe…

"I don't think there is anyone among us who could say truthfully that they don't have any bad feelings about this," Gaston joked.

"But we have to try. For Max's sake," Hope declared. "Any objections?"

Everyone remained silent, even Will. Although he still did not trust this, he pushed his doubts aside.

"Then let's go."

After attaching their Duel Disks, and after Brandi told Hime they would be out for a while to search for Thanatos, they left. The walk to the beach took only a minute or so.

And immediately, they saw him. But this time, he did not wear the black cloak. They could not have recognized the armor he wore, and did not have any idea on how he had acquired it. But after the woman and her guard had left, Thanatos had taken the armor from the corpse to equip himself.

He also had on the black Duel Disk. This only added to his intimidation. Few of them could bring themselves to look into his blood-shot eyes.

"I knew you would not be able to resist," Thanatos smirked.

"Of course not. We have to take you down sometime, so we might as well do it when we know where you are," Rue stated.

"You think any of you stand a chance against me? Highly doubtful. But if you wish to meet your fate, then so be it." He activated his Duel Disk.

"You want a duel? I'll take you on!" Rue challenged.

"I prefer to choose my victims," Thanatos said. "And at this moment, I have no interest in you. Will, you are the one I desire to duel."

"Me? Why?" Will asked.

"For reasons I have no intention of explaining. Now, do you accept?"

"I'll take the choice that lets me have a chance of living," Will answered, activating his own Duel Disk.

"Whoa, are you sure about this?" Neo said nervously. "He isn't going to be an easy opponent."

"We don't have a choice. If we are going to defeat him, then we have to try to do it now. Will we get another chance in the future? Besides, if we refuse, we die instantly. I refuse to give up that easily."

"Yeah… you're right," Neo nodded. "Alright, take him on! I'll remain by your side the entire time!"

"That's one reason I'm confident enough to do this," Will smiled.

"Are you ready?" Thanatos growled impatiently.

"Yes. Let's begin."

Will: 8000

Thanatos: 8000

"Since you challenged me, I'll go first," Will announced. "I lay one monster in defense mode, and one card down. That's it."

"This should be entertaining… I activate Lair or Ten-Thousand Demon Lords. Then I summon Demon Soldier. (1900/1500) He attacks."

"You've destroyed my Magical Plant Mandragona. (500/200)"

"I lay one card down, and that is all."

"Hm… I summon Skilled Black Magician. (1900/1700) Then I equip him with Power of Magicians, which raising his stats by 500 for each magic or trap card on my field. I have one other, so that's a 1000 stat raise. (2900/2700) Also, Skilled Black Magician gets one magic counter because I used a magic card. Now I'll have Skilled Black Magician destroy your Demon Soldier!"

Will: 8000

Thanatos: 7000

"It seems you have some strong attackers," Thanatos said. "But in the end, it will not make a difference. Are you done?"

"Yes."

"Then I shall start by activating my face down trap card, Demon's Cry. By paying 500 Life Points, I am allowed to special summon one card with the word 'Demon' in its name to my field. However, it cannot be sacrificed, and it will be destroyed at the end phase of my turn. So I will choose to special summon Demon Soldier."

Will: 8000

Thanatos: 6500

"Then what's the point in that card? Besides having another attacking monster, I suppose," Neo said doubtfully.

"It has more uses than that, as you will now see. Now I play Degration. I can only activate this card when I have a card with the name 'Demon' on my field. It allows me to take control of one of your face up monsters on the field by equipping them with it."

"This is not going to end well," Neo muttered as the Skilled Black Magician went over to Thanatos.

"I lay one card down, and then will order Demon Soldier and Skilled Black Magician to attack."

Will: 3200

Thanatos: 6500

"Normally, on your turn, I would lose 800 Life Points because of Degration. But that will not happen this time. I sacrifice your Skilled Black Magician for Swift Lightning King Demon-Skull Demon. (2500/1200)"

"Not good," Will commented as the monster emerged.

"I will end my turn at that. My Demon Soldier is destroyed as well."

"Um, Will? If you have any strategies in mind, now would be a great idea to activate them," Neo said.

"Alright, I will. I lay one monster down, and another card down. That's it."

"Attack with Skull Demon."

"I activate Magic Cylinder, negating your attack and dealing Life Point damage equal to his attack power to you."

"Not yet. My Skull Demon's effect activates. I roll a die, and if it is a one, three, or six, your targeting card is negated and destroyed."

They all held their breath as the die hologram came down, clattering to a halt.

"Whew… a five…" Neo sighed in relief.

Will: 3200

Thanatos: 4000

"Hmph… I lay one card down, and end my turn."

"Now we go on the offense!" Will said. "I flip summon Saint Magician. (300/400) Her reverse effect allows me to select one magic card in my Cemetery and add it to my hand, so I choose Power of Magicians. Then I sacrifice her for Magical Marionette! (2000/1000) Then I activate Clarity of Mind, which allows me to retrieve another Clarity of Mind from my deck. This also gives my Magical Marionette a magic counter. (2200/1000) Then I equip it with Power of Magicians, giving it another counter. (3400/2000) Then I remove both counters to destroy Skull Demon! (3000/2000)"

The die fell again, this time landing on a two.

"Alright, good! I'll have Magical Marionette attack you directly!"

Will: 3200

Thanatos: 1000

"When you destroyed my Skull Demon by using a monster effect, you activated my Lair's effect. I select a monster with 'Demon' in its name that has a level lower than six and add it to my hand."

"Alright… I end my turn."

"I lay one monster in defense mode, and one card face down. Then it is your turn."

"Darn… I have no monsters to summon… I'll attack it with my Magical Marionette," Will decided.

"My Hell Pawn Demon. (1200/200)"

"Then it's your move."

"Perfect… I will play Magic Guarder, which will put a magic counter on my Lair. When you try to destroy Lair, the magic counter will be destroyed instead. Then I summon another Hell Pawn Demon. I also activate Cry of the Living Dead on my previous Hell Pawn Demon."

"Why did you do that?" Neo asked.

"When a Hell Pawn Demon is on the field, you cannot attack any of my monsters with the word 'Demon' in their name, except for the Pawn itself. Now that I have two out, you cannot attack either."

"That sounds like the Troop Commander combo," Hope realized. "When two Troop Commanders are out, you can't get past them to hit your opponent's Life Points unless you have direct attackers or you get rid of one or both with a magic, trap, or effect card."

"I end my turn at that."

Will examined his next card. "Argh… I seriously don't know what to do here. The only thing I can think of is to do this. I'll activate Clarity of Mind, so I can get another one from my deck. And since you used your Magic Guarder last turn, that means my Marionette has two counters. I'll get rid of them to try to kill one of your Pawns!"

"If it is a three, my Pawn lives," Thanatos told him as the die fell, and finally stopped at…

"Dang it!" Will muttered, seeing the three. "I end…"

"I pass," Thanatos said.

Will thought for a moment as he looked at his card. "Wait…Thanatos! How much Life Points would you normally be forced to pay to keep your Pawns out?"

"500 for each one."

"Then this should work! I'll use Neo's effect now! By paying 500 Life Points, my Marionette will attack your Lair! That means your Magic Guarder is gone! Then I end my turn."

Will: 2700

Thanatos: 1000

"Oh! I get it now!" Claire said. "If the Lair is gone, then Thanatos will be forced to pay for both his Pawns, which will cause him to lose the match!"

"It sounds like a good plan, but will he pull it off in time?" Hope said nervously.

"We can only hope so," Larka replied.

"Heh… I first activate Jar of Greed, to draw two cards. Then I play Early Burial, to revive my Demon Soldier in attack mode."

Will: 2700

Thanatos: 200

"Now I summon Genocide King Demon. (2000/1500) Then I activate Diskabaddo Attack. By sacrificing my Demon Soldier, my Genocide King Demon is allowed to attack directly."

Will: 700

Thanatos: 200

"So that's how Max's opponents have felt when Olympion slashed them," Will groaned as he got up from the fierce slash he had received.

"I am done."

"Will! We can win now!" Neo exclaimed.

"Yeah, I think this will do it… I pay 500 Life Points to have Magical Marionette destroy the Lair!"

Will: 200

Thanatos: 200

"Now I end my turn. And you have to pay for your Pawns and King, which makes me the winner."

Thanatos smirked. "I thought you would be more cautious then that Will. It is lucky for me that you weren't though."

"What?"

"I activate my two face down cards. The first one is called Altar of Sacrifices. By sacrificing a monster on my side of the field, my Life Points increase by the monster's attack point amount. So I choose to sacrifice my Genocide King Demon… ironic once more, if I do say so myself."

Will: 200

Thanatos: 2200

"You said you activated two cards. What is the other one?" Will asked.

"It's a continuous trap card called Seal of Blood. I select a monster with 'Demon' in its name. Every time I have to pay for that Demon, you have to as well."

"But that means…"

"Yes. It means you lose. I choose one of my Hell Pawn Demons. When I am forced to pay 500 Life Points for it, you are as well. I also lose 500 Life Points from the other Pawn, but that makes no difference."

The Hell Pawns both turned to Thanatos, and without hesitation slashed him fiercely. Thanatos did not seem to even notice the pain though. Afterwards, one of the Pawns moved over to Will, and brought its sword down on him as well. Will fell to a kneeling position, holding onto his injured side as he let out small gasps of pain.

Will: 0

Thanatos: 1200

"You were a better opponent than I expected," Thanatos commented. "A pity that it was all for nothing, eh?"

"No… not again…" Hope whispered.

"Perhaps I shall make your death a quick one, since you improved as a duelist." He stepped forward, towards Will.

But Neo leapt in front of Will. "No! I won't let you!"

Thanatos raised an eyebrow. "You knew what the conditions were. And now they will be carried out. Are you trying to dishonor yourself by breaking the rules?"

"I may be dishonoring myself, but it would be even worse if I just stood by and did nothing! I'd feel far more guilty if I let Will die when I could have prevented it!" Neo snarled.

"But you can't stop me from doing it. Compared to my strength, you are nothing."

They did not even see what Thanatos did, he moved so quickly. They did see Neo crash into the sand a distance away though.

Neo started to rise slowly, growling as he tried to stand. But apparently, he had been injured in the chest, and was finding it difficult to stand up.

"Neo, stay back! You don't stand a chance!" Will said as he got up. "He wants me… so let's keep the death toll at one, and not two!"

"But Will…" Neo protested.

"I advise that you listen to him," Thanatos told him as he stood in front of Will, grabbing him by his right arm.

As Thanatos was distracted, Will brought up his left arm, bringing a kunai hidden in his left sleeve to his hand. And before Thanatos could react, Will brought the kunai down onto Thanatos' right arm, impaling it.

Thanatos' grip did not even falter. He simply reached over with his left hand and pulled out the bloody kunai, tossing it aside. "You are still full of surprises, hm? Even though it is only a minor annoyance, you have still succeeded in making me want to make your death far more… painful."

Will did not have a chance to do anything before Thanatos slammed him into the ground and held him down, while bringing out a syringe filled with a red liquid.

Thanatos noticed Will's glance at the syringe. "Do you recognize it?"

"Blood…" Will whispered. He was not completely sure, but that was what he suspected.

"Yes. But it will have a far greater effect than you might imagine." Then he swiftly stabbed into Will's right arm with it, and started injecting it.

"What the hell does that creep think he's doing?!" Rue yelled, stepping forward.

Before he could go any further, Ruecian grabbed his arm, pulling him back.

"Let go! I'm not going to stand by and watch this!" Rue snarled.

"You can't interfere!" Claire said. "If we try, it will only make matters worse! Thanatos could easily kill Will instantly if we tried anything, and then he would kill the rest of us as well!"

"But… no!" Rue growled.

"We're helpless…" Hope said softly. "We can't even save ourselves, let alone our own friend…"

Rue swore under his breath before stepping back, glaring at Thanatos. Ruecian did not let go of his arm though.

By this time, the syringe was empty. Thanatos stood up, calmly putting it away. "I trust you already feel the effects?"

Will did not respond. He could not. For the second the injection had started, he had felt something he had only felt once, and had no desire to ever feel again.

Will's skin felt as though it were being branded. His whole body was on fire. This agony… he wanted to die…

_So… it was… a prediction of… what would happen… this pain… oh God… someone kill me… this is… too much… let it end… let it end…_

But none of his friends heard this. All they could see was Will lying on the sand, letting out soft cries of pain.

"What did you do to him?!" Claire exclaimed.

"I trust you will soon see for yourself," Thanatos smirked. "I must take my leave now… but I am sure we will meet again quite soon." Then he ran off, towards the forest.

Nobody even bothered trying to go after him. Neo was the first to reach Will, and looked over him. "Will! Say something! Will!"

All Will did was let out another snarl of pain, not even seeming to notice that Neo was there.

"What did he do to you?" Neo whispered.

The others could only watch as Neo picked Will up, gently lifting him.

"…We can't stay here…" Neo said. "We need to… go back to Brandi's place…"

"Yeah. Let's go," Hope agreed, forcing herself to look away from Will. "We'll see if we can help Will there…"

The trip back was a silent one, with a depressed ambience. Even Malon seemed sad; he walked slowly, his head to the ground, ears dropped, whimpering softly.

Although Neo still seemed to be injured, they let him carry Will anyway. They could tell Neo was already feeling ashamed by the fact that he had not been able to stop Thanatos, and they did not want to hurt him anymore than he was now.

They were back at the condo quickly, although it seemed to take forever. Brandi opened the door, and held it open so that the others could enter.

Hime came up to the front almost instantly. "How did it go?" Then she caught site of Will. "Is he ok?"

"We don't know," Perseus replied. "He needs a place to rest though."

"Of course… But what happened?"

"Thanatos injected him with something," Larka explained as they went into the living room. "We do not know what it was, but the effects seem to be apparent enough. He's been in pain ever since."

Neo set Will on the couch as Claire gave a more detailed explanation. Hope and Rue walked over to examine him though.

"Damn… I wish there was something we could do…" Rue said.

"I think we all wish that," Hope responded. She picked up Will's right arm tenderly, to look at where the needle had entered. But something made her forget about that entirely.

"Guys! Look over here!" Hope exclaimed.

"What is it?" Gaston inquired as they went over to them.

"Will's skin! It's… changing color! Like… it's becoming… black?"

"Say what?" Rue looked at Will's arm as well. "Huh? What the hell?"

"It… isn't his whole arm though…" Brandi noticed. "Just sections… it's like… stripes or something are starting to form."

"Stripes? What is this supposed to mean though?" Rue wondered.

Claire stood up. "There's no point in trying to deny it. We have no clue on what is going on with Will, and we need to find out as soon as possible. We need to take him to the hospital. Does everyone agree?"

"That would probably be best," Hope nodded.

"I'll call an ambulance," Mana offered. "What should I say? That a friend of ours is deathly ill?"

"Yeah, that's good," Brandi replied. Mana left instantly.

Neo was looking at his arm still. "The stripes… they're growing blacker by the second…"

Hope looked over at Will's face, and once again froze in shock.

Gaston noticed her go pale. "Hope? What is now?"

"L-look here…" Hope indicated to where a stripe had ended on his face, on the left cheek. But it did not just suddenly get cut off. It had become something…

"What is that?" Gaston asked, looking closer. Then he stepped back. "No way! It isn't…"

"But it is," Hope said softly. "A snake's head."

"What does that mean?" Neo questioned, looking worriedly at the area.

"This reminds me of something that happened to me once…" Hope explained. "A while back, in Teknisk Wereld, I dueled Malady, and she used a card called Black Snake Sickness. Each turn that passed caused a virus that looks identical to this to emerge, burning into our skin… it is just too much alike to be coincidence."

"But that's impossible," Perseus protested. "You can't use Duel Monster cards in the real world like you can in Teknisk Wereld."

"I know… I just don't understand what this means…" Hope replied.

"Alright, the ambulance will be here shortly," Mana announced, coming back in.

"Thanks," Larka said. "So I assume that most of us should stay here?"

"That would be for the best," Claire agreed. "Neo should go of course… anyone else?"

"I will," Hope volunteered. "And Gaston can come too."

"That should be enough then," Claire decided.

"But…" Rue started.

"You're staying here, Rue. We can check on Will later," Claire told him.

"…Fine…"

Hime had left to wait by the door, and then beckoned. "It's here. "Hope, Gaston, Neo, come on over. Bring Will with you."

Once again, Neo lifted Will, and they went outside. Two men were waiting outside of the open ambulance.

When they saw Will, both flinched.

"Well, we suspected as much…" the first one sighed.

"That doesn't make it any better," the second said, putting Will on a stretcher.

"What are you talking about?" Gaston inquired.

The two men looked at each other. Then the first man spoke again. "You will see when we get to the hospital. Get on in the back."

They sat down, Neo next to Will while Hope and Gaston were a bit farther back. Soon the vehicle was off.

A few minutes into the silent drive, Gaston went over to Neo. Hope gave him an questioning glance, but Gaston shook his head. So she stayed where she was.

"How do you feel?" Gaston asked, sitting next to his friend.

"Physically, a little bit sore, but nothing too bad…" Neo replied.

"And mentally?"

"…Like I'm being torn apart," Neo said quietly. "I just… I didn't want this to happen again."

"What do you mean, again?"

"Will… he was killed by Juno. I tried to help him… I really did… but I was too weak to be able to save him. When we were both brought back to life, I swore I'd get stronger in case that happened again. But it was all for nothing… I wasn't able to help at all this time. Will's being tortured by a disease that might kill him, and all I can do is watch!"

By now, Neo was shaking slightly, trying not to let tears fall. Gaston grasped his hand in a comforting way.

"There are few in these worlds who would give their life to save another. You are strong-none of us could have done anything. And you tried to help, regardless of what the consequences might be-I think that shows that you are definitely one of the strongest Soul Monsters any of us know."

"…But…"

"Neo, you are still needed, but not on the battlefield. Will is battling this… virus, or disease, or whatever it is at this very moment. He needs to have one of his closest companions with him at a time like this. Only you can make him continue living. So stay with him while we go after Thanatos."

"…Alright. Thanks."

"Glad I could help somehow," Gaston said, rising. "It looks like we're here…"

They were soon inside a room, waiting for a nurse to come and check on Will. In a few seconds, she came in.

"Lilian!" Hope exclaimed.

"Ah, you're…?"

"Hope. That's Gaston, he's Neo, and Will's the one who's ill."

"That's right. I remember that Matt mentioned your names. So let's see…" Lilian looked at Will. The stripes had turned a pure black by now. "Again? How many more will come in like this?"

"What do you mean?" Hope asked.

Lilian grimly looked at Will's right arm. "This is a virus we know almost nothing about, except that it has, so far, been always fatal. Don't panic yet!" she said to Neo, who looked about ready to do so. "Even at this moment, scientists are working on trying to find a cure for it. And how soon someone dies can vary. Perhaps your friend will be one of the lucky few who have lived for a long time. Although, from what it seems, the victim's are in constant pain… so maybe it isn't something I should call lucky."

To try and veer away from the uncomfortable conversation, Hope brought up a question she was still confused on. "The men in the ambulance seemed to know they would be bringing in another who got this virus."

Lilian sighed. "We've had a massive outbreak. Several infected people have been brought in. The worst thing is that we just don't know how to help them."

"A… massive outbreak?" Hope asked. She thought back to Thanatos injecting the fluid into Will.

_If the only way this disease was transmitted was through syringes like that… then a massive outbreak is impossible. Thanatos alone couldn't do it. So that must mean… he is working with at least one other person… if not more…_

-----

"Sir!" The scientist ran up to his boss.

"What are the results?"

"The vitality signs… just look at them!"

The man looked at the data. "What? These signs are so… erratic."

"Sir, what does it mean?"

"This Thanatos is truly powerful… no, inhumanly powerful. We have gained a very valuable, if not unpredictable, ally."

To be continued…


	5. The Thin Line of Loyalty

I love it when I'm on a writing role!

Captain Obvious: It's you! Yay! Thanks for restating the obvious for those who missed it!

John: Thanatos was talking about Zack. I don't know what you are talking about with Max and Matt. And yay, I avoid a pumpkin smashing?

Tragic1987: Wow, all three arcs in one day? I'm honored that you like my story as much as you do! And I too am glad to be updating constantly, but who knows how long that will last…

**Chapter 5: The Thin Line of Loyalty**

Gen sat down in one of the few chairs in the apartment, and sighed in frustration.

_He still won't listen to me… I can't take seeing him like this anymore. If I cannot be of any help to him, then I need to get someone who can. I need to find the others, but where to start looking?_

His train of thoughts was interrupted when he heard a knock at the door. _Who would that be? It's not like anyone around here knows us…_

He walked over to the door, and cautiously opened it.

"Max?!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

For it was Max, who was leaning against the wall opposite of the door with his eyes closed.

"I came to speak with Miles. Bring him out here."

Gen saw Max's arm. "You're wounded?"

"A minor inconvenience. Now, bring Miles here."

Gen shook his head. "Your voice sounds different as well… what has happened to you?"

"I can explain once I see Miles."

"Gen? What's going on?" Miles had come down, and saw who was in the door. "Max?" He stepped backwards, wondering whether he was delighted to see a friend or wanting to flee because this friend might hate him at any moment.

"Don't leave until I have a chance to speak with you."

"…Alright. Gen, let him in."

_I'm getting a really bad feeling about this…_ Gen thought, but he let Max step inside before shutting the door.

They went into the small living room, where Miles took a seat on the chair. Gen and Max remained standing.

"So why are you here?" Miles inquired. "You sure seem different from before. How did you get wounded? What's with the new clothes and Duel Disk? Heck, you seem different as a person altogether."

"You could say I am," Max smirked, opening his eyes.

"What the…" Miles couldn't even finish his sentence when he saw the blood-shot eyes. "What happened to you?!"

_I knew something was wrong here! This can't be Max!_ Gen realized.

"Who are you?" Gen asked.

"Good question, Gen. I am not Max anymore, if that is what you mean. Call me Thanatos. And as for how I became this… I do not feel like spending all of our time here going over the fine details."

"Then why are you here?" Miles inquired.

"I've come with a proposition."

"Let's hear it then."

"The others in the group are unaware of what… your past is like. But I know it."

Miles stared at him in shock, but forced down his desire to run as far away as he could. "How?"

"I know more than you would think," Thanatos said simply. "Now, if I wanted to, I could easily let everyone in this world know that you have done several murders, and by tracing back to the town fire, I'm sure they could discover that you indeed might play a role in it. The consequences would be severe, correct?"

"Your personality… you don't even act like Max anymore…" Gen growled.

"No, I do not. Did you expect me to? Now, I could do that, but I will not if you help me."

"Help you? With what?" Miles asked.

"I desire one thing at the moment; to see the rest of your friends dead. I have already nearly finished off Zack, and Will is slowly approaching death at this very moment. I will still need to get rid of Draken, since he is in another location, but I am not very concerned with him at the moment. The rest of them, however, can be finished in one strike."

"You want me to help you kill those who are my friends?!" Miles said in shock.

"How can you even suggest such a thing?" Gen said.

"Are they your friends? Would they be so quick to befriend you if they knew what you had done?"

"…Well…" Miles looked away. The question hurt; he had often asked himself.

"And I can also offer you this. If you do this, I can erase your memory once more."

Miles looked back at him, although not into his eyes. "You can do that?"

"Yes. I can also make sure that you never regain it again, if that's what you want."

"How can you even be considering this?!" Gen exclaimed. "You haven't killed anyone intentionally; the fire was an accident! But leading your companions into danger will certainly count as deliberate! And they're your friends! They wouldn't think any less of you for what happened!"

"But they would," Miles said softly. "And what is the problem with more blood stains on my already covered hands?"

"You're thinking about accepting?! Miles, why?!"

"It's the only option I see at this moment." Miles brought out Gen's Soul Card. "I'm sorry to do this Gen… but I want to talk with Thanatos some more. Please leave for now."

Gen could not defy such a direct order, even though he wanted to. He vanished instantly, although his hurt look remained in Miles' mind.

"So what would I have to do?" Miles asked, acting as though nothing had happened.

-----

Hope knocked on the door, and laughed as she heard Malon let out many shrilling howls.

"No! It's alright Malon! It's just Hope and Gaston. Keep away from the door!" Larka opened the door, holding Malon back by his collar.

They stepped inside, and Hope closed the door. At that time, Malon finally pulled free and began jumping at Hope.

"Hey, enough!" Larka grabbed him again. "I told you, no jumping! Sorry you two."

"It's fine," Hope grinned. "Where are the others?"

"In the kitchen. We were waiting for you to get back so we could all eat."

"Thanks, I'm starving."

"I think we all are!"

They walked into the kitchen, and Hope eyed a twisted iron thing that could have once been a pot. "Do I want to know?"

"No, you don't," Brandi answered.

"I didn't mean to," Mana muttered.

After eating, they went back to the living room. "So what is the news with Will?" Rue asked.

"He's getting worse. We can only hope they'll find a cure soon," Hope sighed.

"There was a massive outbreak of this virus," Gaston explained. "So it's likely someone will try to discover the cure."

"Neo stayed with him?" Mana inferred.

"That's right," Hope confirmed. "Listen, I'm getting very suspicious about this whole thing. How could Thanatos cause this to be a massive outbreak? If he has to inject it into the victims, then there is no way that he could do it all by himself."

"Which means he's working with someone," Perseus realized.

"Or several other people," Hope nodded. "Either way, it doesn't look good."

"What a cheerful thought," Claire said sarcastically. "Then again, everything that has happened lately is just more and more happiness to add to the mood."

Mana picked up the remote. "Well, I'm going to check the news. I want to see if we can find out more on this virus. Hey Hope, does it have a name?"

"Lilian said they have not named the virus yet."

"Alright, just curious." She turned on the TV, and started flipping through channels. "No news… no news… a meow mix commercial…"

"You are not singing that again," Brandi told her.

"Darn… ok, continuing… still no news… hey!" She stopped at a channel.

"A press conference?" Perseus asked.

At the moment, a man was speaking. He had on a black suit at the moment, but it looked kind of awkward. He appeared to be very strong, which made the suit look somewhat too official for him. His short hair was blond, although a lock on each side came down his face, and he had blue eyes.

"We are aware that there has been a massive outbreak for this new virus," the man said. "And I can assure you that we are doing all we can to stop it. Our scientists are working at this very moment to find a vaccine that can neutralize this threat. We have been getting close to having the correct medication, so please be patient. Soon we shall be able to save those that are ill."

"Vlad!" Brandi exclaimed.

"Who?" Rue said in confusion.

"Vlademir Stalin. He's the head of Macina Corp. Our stepfather, Jason, used to be the head, but once he died, he was replaced with Vlad. He certainly seems to be an improvement over Jason."

"Seems like it," Mana said, shutting off the TV. "I think we've heard all we need to. It seems like they're getting pretty near to having the cure. So perhaps Will has a chance of living after all!"

"Maybe. Let's not get our hopes too high," Perseus stated. But he too seemed slightly happier.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm about to collapse," Rue said. "Let's get to bed. We can talk about how to find Thanatos tomorrow. Who knows; maybe he'll leave another dart on the door."

"Possibly. But I do agree with the sleep part," Hope nodded. "I'm tired too, as most of you probably are."

"Then good night," Brandi said, leaving while Mana followed. Fell left as well, leaving the others to get into bed.

But Larka could not fall asleep. Although Malon was in a deep sleep beside her, she could not get herself to relax. All of her worries for her friends were accumulating, and she could not get herself to sleep with them. With a soft sigh, she got out of the bed quietly, and looked towards the door.

_Maybe I should go on a walk… no, that's probably not such a good idea. But I have to do something, or I'm going to be up all night._

Then she heard someone stir. She turned, and saw who it was instantly.

"Zack! You're awake!" She managed to keep her voice at a whisper, even though she was very relieved. She went over to him, sitting down next to him.

"What… happened?" Zack managed to say. He tried to rise, but gave up almost immediately.

"Don't try to move. You were hurt by Thanatos, remember?"

"That's right… I remember now…"

"Are you going to be alright?"

"It will… take some time… to repair myself. But yes. In a while… I will be fine…"

"That's good," Larka smiled. "At least something is going right."

"However… I can't… afford to keep myself… conscious for very long… it uses up… too much energy…"

"Ok. Go ahead and start repairing yourself. I'll tell the others that you're recovering."

"Thanks…" Then he was unconscious again.

Larka got back up. _Thank goodness that at least he's going to get better. But what about Will? Can we say the same for him?_

Still, she felt somewhat happier, and fell asleep as soon as she got back into bed.

-----

At last, the long press conference was over. _About time too,_ Vlad thought in disgust as he left the room. _I can't stand these things._

"Sir!" One of his scientists came over to him.

"Yes?"

"We have found him. He's awakened."

"Excellent."

And as Vlad headed for the exit, he could not help but smirk.

-----

Larka waited to tell of what had happened until they were all at the table.

"Zack woke up last night. He said that he is currently trying to heal, and although it will take some time, he will eventually be completely recovered."

"Finally, some good news," Hope smiled. "Did you tell him about what has happened since he has been injured?"

"He wasn't able to stay conscious long enough. Next time he will hopefully be able to stay up for a longer period of time."

When they finished, they started to head for the living room, but heard a knock.

"This early in the morning?" Hime said.

"I'll see who it is," Hope volunteered.

"No, let's all go," Rue decided. "If it's Thanatos…"

"Alright then."

They went over to the door, and Hope cautiously opened it. She stared at the visitor.

"Hi," Miles greeted.

"Miles! But how?" Hope said in shock.

"How what? Nice to see you all," he commented to the others.

"How did you know to come here?" Brandi inquired as she stepped aside to let Miles in.

"I got a strange note from a name I do not recognize. Thanatos is what is said."

"Thanatos! What did it say?" Hope asked.

"To go to this location-this address-then find him at another location. I have the number memorized. But I wanted to ask you guys who he is before doing that."

Hope gave a brief run though of who Thanatos was and what he had done, but Miles was barely listening, although he pretended to. He was thinking about what he would have to do next.

_It will hurt, to do this… I don't like the idea of hurting them, let alone killing them. But…_

"So can you lead us to this place?" Brandi asked.

"I think so. I asked the taxi driver for directions to the place."

Gaston seemed troubled by something. "Where is Gen?"

"He is taking care of some things back at my apartment. I'll go back to get him as soon as possible, but he needs to finish a few things first."

None of them brought up what had happened in the church. They did not want to remind Miles of whatever he had gone through.

"Well, if you're ready, can you lead us to the place?" Hope requested.

"Yes. Follow me."

-----

"This is the place," Miles said.

It had not been very far from Brandi's condo. They were at an old, abandoned house that looked to be about two stories high. Although it was on the beach shore, it was not a beach house. It was not very impressive, but they could see why Thanatos would choose such a location.

"There won't be any people around this area," Brandi realized. "All that's here is this run-down old house that was moved from its old location so that a mall could be built. I bet that nobody else would dream of coming out here."

"Yeah. Once we go in, we can't expect any help from outside sources," Claire nodded. "But that's good, in a way. We don't want anyone else to have to deal with Thanatos."

"Then let's go," Hope said.

Gaston tried the door, and found it to be unlocked. "Alright… let's be cautious. We don't know if he will attack instantly or wait to duel one of us."

They all walked inside, except for Miles. He was towards the back of the group, and waited for everyone else to enter before gently closing the door and locking it. Then he ran a short distance away, but stopped, staring at the front of the house, waiting for Thanatos to make his move.

The others had not noticed their missing friend. "Where do we begin looking?" Claire wondered.

"He could be on either floor," Perseus noted. "Let's start searching."

They walked a little bit farther in, before Malon suddenly began to whine.

"What is it?" Larka asked him.

Daine sniffed the air. "I can smell something… smoke!"

"A fire?!" Hope exclaimed.

"Yes… very close by."

As if to confirm his words, they could see flames begin to engulf the walls nearby them.

"Was this Thanatos' plan? To kill us all in one attack?!" Hope said.

"What about the front door?" Larka asked.

In response, Fell ran towards the front room, easily leaping over a small blaze that had begun before it. In a few seconds he was back.

"Locked," he said.

"But how? Was Thanatos waiting for us?" Rue wondered.

Hope then realized something. "Miles."

"What about him?" Claire asked.

"Don't you see? Miles isn't with us!"

"He betrayed us?!" Gaston said.

"No way! Why would he?" Larka asked.

"Damn it! I guess that he never really did come over to our side! Traitorous bastard!" Rue snarled.

"We don't have time to worry about that," Hope said. "We have to find a way out of here!"

"Fell and I will look on the second floor!" Larka said. "You all search this one! If you can't find a way out, then we'll meet up on the second floor, alright?"

"We have to hurry. The smoke will soon make it too hard to see or breathe," Gaston reminded them before they split up.

-----

Miles just stared into the flames as the house was beginning to be consumed.

Seeing this fire reminded Miles of another one he had seen. One that also had destroyed the few friends he had.

_Damn it all… why did I even agree to go through with this? Gen was right… I felt guilty enough before, but this is making things even worse. I'm such a damn coward…_

"Admiring the result of your actions?"

Miles turned to Thanatos, who had just walked up beside him. "Not admiring. Regretting. I wish I had never even considered doing this."

"Wishes… they are merely a small spot of light, of hope, in a dark room that soon consumes them. Wishes are pointless." Thanatos stepped towards him. "Now… my part of the deal." Thanatos activated his Duel Disk.

"What are you doing?"

"You wanted your memory erased, correct? Then I will get rid of it for you. Once you die, you will not care for what you have done here," Thanatos smirked.

"I should have known it might come to this…" Miles sighed. "If you were going to kill the whole group, why not me too? But I won't take it lying down. If I defeat you, maybe I can at least save you, Max…"

"Max is dead. Why do you act as though he still exists?"

"I thought the real Miles was dead, until I saw the truth of my past. And now I'm what I was before-a coward that tries to earn what I want through the most dishonorable ways! Maybe this time I can act as the alternate persona I had though."

"All the more fun for me. I prefer to play with my food before I eat it, and the only food I consume is death."

"…" _I can't use Gen this duel. In a way, I betrayed him too... I can't ask him to help me when he warned me about this happening in the first place._

Miles: 8000

Thanatos: 8000

"I will begin," Thanatos said. "I summon Demon Soldier. (1900/1500) Then I lay four cards down and end my turn."

"Four?!" _Damn it… I forgot… he knows my deck type. I focus a lot on hand destruction, something he's well aware of…_

"I'll start off by playing Steadfast Guard. This forces you to shuffle the last card in your hand into your deck."

"It was my Warrior of Zera," Thanatos stated, shuffling it in.

"Then I summon Troop Commander. (1200/400) Since I was successful in summoning him, I can special summon my Falcon Knight. (1000/700) Then I use Magic Box of Death! This destroys one of your monsters and gives you one of my mine. So I destroy Demon Soldier and give you Falcon Knight. Troop Commander attacks Falcon Knight!"

Miles: 8000

Thanatos: 7800

"Then I lay two cards down, and end my turn."

Thanatos reached for his deck, but Miles flipped over one of his cards. "I activate Lost Property. You're forced to discard the card you just drew."

"My Swift Lightning Demon King-Skull Demon is discarded. I activate my face down trap, Results of Kozakii's Research. I look at my top three cards and arrange them in any order I want to. Ok, it is done. Then I end my turn."

"I'll summon Surprising Matasa! (1300/1000) Matasa attacks directly!"

"I activate Cry of the Living Dead. This allows me to bring one of the monsters in my Cemetery to my field in face up attack mode. So I choose Skull Demon. (2500/1200)"

"Damn it… I switch Troop Commander to defense mode and end my turn," Miles sighed.

"Every turn I have Skull Demon out, I am forced to pay 500 Life Points. But I activate Seal of Blood. This forces you to pay the same amount as me."

The Skull Demon slashed Thanatos, who did not even flinch, then Miles, who fell back as the claws raked over his chest.

Miles: 7500

Thanatos: 7300

"Then I summon Genocide King Demon. (2000/1000)"

"In response to your summon, I activate Tidal Wave! This destroys all monsters on the field."

"Then all I have left is one card on the field, while you have none. It is your turn."

"I draw… whew, saved. One monster in defense mode, and that's it."

"Heh… what do you know. I summon Warrior of Zera. (1600/1600) He attacks your monster."

"You can't destroy my Soul-Hunting Spirit that way! (300/200) He can't be slain when in battle."

"In that case, I end my turn."

"…I pass," Miles sighed as he looked at his card.

"I activate Degration, equipping it to your Soul-Hunting Spirit. I am aware of its effect-if it is targeted by a magic, trap, or monster effect, it dies instantly."

"Damn it," Miles muttered as his monster vanished.

"Now Warrior of Zera attacks directly."

Miles: 5900

Thanatos: 7300

-----

"It's hopeless!" Rue exclaimed as he came running back to Hope and Brandi. Claire followed him, coughing slightly. "All the exits are completely blocked off!"

"We need to get upstairs then," Gaston replied. "Maybe Fell and Larka found something."

They ran up the stairs quickly, Rue going first, and Perseus going last. It was lucky he had been coming last-he barely had time to jump onto the second floor before the stairs collapsed, falling to the first floor.

"There's no turning back now," Brandi said, before coughing.

"The smoke's getting a lot worse…" Mana noticed.

Hope was especially having a bad time. She couldn't even manage to speak from coughing every other breath. Gaston looked at her worriedly. "Where are they?"

"Did you find anything?!" Larka asked, running over to them. She was carrying Malon, who was whining fretfully.

"No, and even if we did, we wouldn't be able to make use of it," Rue said, pointing to where the stairs had been.

"Dang it… I hope Fell had better luck than me," Larka managed to say before she started coughing as well.

As if to answer her words, Fell ran over to them, Daine following.

"Did you find anything?" Larka asked when she was over her coughing fit.

"Yes. There is another stairway over there," Daine quickly explained. "It leads to the attic. We have not looked around there yet, but it is our only choice."

"Then lead the way," Rue said.

Fell and Daine turned and ran back the way they came, the others following.

-----

"I need a good card here…" Miles muttered, drawing. "Yes, this will do. I summon another Falcon Knight. (1000/700) Then I equip him with Demon Axe. This raises his attack points by 1000! (2000/700) Falcon Knight attacks Warrior of Zera! Then his effect allows him to attack again. This time, you're his target!"

Miles: 5900

Thanatos: 4900

"Hm… I must pass," Thanatos stated.

Miles drew his next card. "You're lucky that I didn't just get another monster. Falcon Knight attacks twice!"

Miles: 5900

Thanatos: 900

"I lay one more card down before ending my turn."

Thanatos smirked. "Well, isn't this a coincidence. I activate my face down Tempest, destroying your Demon Axe and other card."

"That… is not good…" Miles stated. "You also hit my Gravity Bind…"

"I summon Demon Soldier. (1900/1500) He attacks Falcon Knight."

Miles: 5000

Thanatos: 900

"Now I'm on the defensive…" Miles said tensely. "I lay one monster down, and end my turn."

"I play Jar of Greed to draw two cards. Then I activate Lair of Ten-Thousand Demon Lords."

"I am guessing this is not a good thing…"

"I also summon Genocide King Demon. He attacks your face down monster."

"My White Thief… (1000/700)" Miles was painfully reminded of two other Soul Monsters he knew as his monster was slashed apart.

"Demon Soldier attacks directly."

Miles: 3100

Thanatos: 900

"Argh… I lay one card down and end my turn."

"I summon Death Rook Demon. (1100/1800)"

"Hold on! Don't you have to pay for having Genocide King Demon on the field?"

"Normally, I would. But Lair negates that effect."

"Ow," Miles muttered.

"I will have my Genocide King Demon attack."

"I'll activate my trap, Attack Nullification! This negates your attack and causes your Battle Phase to end instantly."

"You are only delaying the inevitable. Take your turn."

Miles looked at his next card.

_He was right… I was just stalling for time, but it didn't work out as I had hoped. I can't win. Simple as that. So now I'm as good as dead… I guess it's all I deserve, after what I have done…_ "I lay one monster in defense mode, and end my turn…"

"I can see by your expression that you have lost. I shall attack with my Death Rook Demon."

"Century Thief… (1000/1000)"

"Demon Soldier attacks, and Genocide King Demon does the final blow."

Miles: 0

Thanatos: 900

"So you've won. I was prepared for that," Miles said. "Kill me if you want to-if that's the way I am forced to pay for my sins, then so be it!"

"A tempting idea. But I have something more… painful in mind." He started walking slowly towards Miles, staring straight into his eyes.

Miles couldn't move, frozen with fear. _I thought I had known fear when Robin had tried to kill me… now I know that was just a shadow of true terror…_

"You want death because it is an easy way out of your pains? Then how will you feel if you are forced to live the rest of your life knowing you killed those that were some of the only friends you had?"

And then he lunged.

-----

"This might not have been a good idea," Rue said as they looked around the attic. "It's a lot smaller up here, and the smoke is filling this place up quickly…" He broke off in a fit of coughing before managing to continue. "We could end up trapped here."

"It doesn't matter. If there isn't a way out from here, then we're dead either way," Brandi pointed out.

Ruecian had been examining a window nearby. After looking over it, he held out his hand towards it, blasting the entire thing away with a wave of dark magic.

"Well… that works…" Larka blinked.

"You must be kidding! We're going to jump from the third floor?!" Rue yelped.

"Do you see any other escape routes? I didn't think so," Brandi stated.

"I'll go first, since I can float down," Mana volunteered. "Brandi, come over here. I'll make sure you get to the ground." Then she leapt while carrying Brandi.

"Fell and I will go next," Larka decided. "We can make big falls like this without harm due to our wolf genes. Be careful guys." Then she also leapt while carrying Malon, Fell following.

"Decide amongst yourselves who will be next," Daine advised before he jumped out too. Fell was already on the shore, and caught Daine as he came down. Fell nearly collapsed under his Soul Monster's weight, but managed to stay upright.

Hope was in another violent coughing fit. "Get her out first," Claire told Gaston.

"I won't argue with that." He picked her up and leapt out himself. He managed to land on his back in the sand, successfully keeping Hope safe.

"I'd hate to think about how I would have fared without armor…" he commented as he got up.

Back up in the attic, the next person was chosen. "Get onto my back," Perseus told Claire. She did so, and he leapt out with her, landing gracefully.

"Show off," Gaston muttered.

"You are NOT getting me to do this!" Rue told Ruecian. "You do know I'm afraid of heights, right?"

Ruecian was not in the mood to argue. Without any warning whatsoever he pushed Rue out of the window, and then jumped out himself.

Rue crashed into the sand, and rose with a groan. "Damn it Ruecian… did you have to do that?!"

"Yes, he did, or we would have been here all day," Brandi said before she started coughing again.

"You have all had too much smoke inhalation," Perseus realized. "Let's get to Brandi's place-we can call an ambulance there."

"Wait!" Hope managed to say. "Miles… what about Miles?"

"What about him? He betrayed us. He's probably long gone. I would have liked to give that damn traitor a piece of my mind too…"

"No! He wouldn't have just left!" Hope protested before coughing again. "His conscience… wouldn't let him…"

"He has one?" Rue said in disbelief. "Give it up Hope. He pretended to be our friend, but it must have been all been an act. He never did change when we first met him."

"But…" She was cut off by another spasm of coughing before she could go on.

"I agree with Hope. We should find him," Larka stated. "But most of us are in no condition to search. Rue, you look like you can walk by yourself, so maybe Ruecian could search?"

Ruecian nodded, and ran towards the front of the house. Rue sighed. "Well, if he's willing to help Miles, I guess I should be ok with it. I still am suspicious of this though."

They began heading to the condo. Hope was still too weakened by the smoke and had to be carried by Gaston, while Claire continued to ride Perseus. Brandi had fared better with it though, and could walk by herself, as could Rue, Fell, and Larka. Malon seemed to be the only Soul Monster who had been affected by the smoke-he kept whimpering and letting out coughs too.

"Will he be ok?" Larka asked worriedly.

"He just needs some time to recover," Daine reassured her.

"I hope that's the case…"

Then they heard someone running towards them. They turned to see Ruecian come up, carrying Miles.

To say at the least, Miles was in terrible condition. His arms and legs were bent in positions that suggested that they were broken, and his chest seemed to be injured as well. He also had several bruises everywhere, but there wasn't much to say about that when compared to what he looked like otherwise.

They all stared in disbelief and horror at Miles. He had so many injuries that at first, they thought he might be dead, until they saw that he was breathing.

Rue shook his head. "I… I wanted him to be hurt for what he had done… but this is going way too far…"

"Where was he, Ruecian?" Brandi inquired.

Ruecian indicated back to the house, towards the front.

"Who did this to him?" Rue growled.

"Who do YOU think?" Claire said. "The only one besides us in this area was Thanatos."

"But he betrayed us-he went to Thanatos' side. Why would Thanatos try to kill him?" Rue asked, confused.

"He was probably… just Thanatos' pawn…" Hope managed to say. "Thanatos… had no intention of letting… him live…"

"And I thought I couldn't learn to hate him more than I already did," Rue snarled. "What a sick bastard that guy is."

"Well? Anyone have any arguments about trying to help Miles now?" Larka asked.

Nobody responded.

"Then we'll have the ambulance take him too."

"The doctors will be thrilled with the number of patients they will have," Gaston said dryly.

"Indeed," Perseus said as they went on.

The second they got back, Mana bolted for the phone.

"What is with her and making phone calls?" Rue wondered as they stood in the living room-covered in ashes, it would not have been a good idea to sit down.

"She just enjoys chattering to people who are forced to listen to her," Brandi sighed.

"You're back!" Hime exclaimed, coming in. "Why didn't you tell me you were leaving before you did?" Then she saw what condition they were in. "What happened?!"

"Got caught in a fire," Rue told her. "We managed to get out though."

"A fire?"

"We'll explain later," Larka assured. "But we don't have the time right now. Miles is seriously injured, and the rest of us aren't doing too well either."

"Miles?" She looked over at the unconscious boy curiously. She had heard about him, but had never actually met him. "What happened to him?"

"Thanatos, we're assuming," Perseus said grimly.

Mana came back in. "Alright, they're coming. Let's get outside."

They went to the front, where an ambulance drove in. Hope instantly recognized the two men that got out.

"I was surprised to get another call from you folks so quickly," the first man commented. "What is it this time?"

"Can't you ask us that when we aren't dying?" Brandi responded.

"Right, sorry." The man looked over at Miles and Hope. "Two stretchers. The rest of them will be ok without one."

"I don't… need one…" Hope protested before she started coughing violently.

"Sure you don't," Gaston said.

The second man addressed the Soul Monsters. "I'm sorry, but we don't have the room in here for any of you. Can you just wait here until we get back?"

"Yes. We'll be waiting," Perseus stated before they left.

"But Malon needs help too," Larka protested. "And he would fit, wouldn't he?"

The second man looked over the puppy, smiling as he saw him. "Yes, he can come."

"Of course he can come. Anything cute and fuzzy can come as long as I work with this soft hearted moron," the first man commented.

"Aw shut up," the second man grumbled as they went for the driver's seats.

The trip to the hospital was a silent one. When they arrived, Miles was taken to a room while the rest of them were brought to a different one.

The doctor looked over Hope first. "You were the one who was affected the worse by the smoke inhalation?"

Hope nodded carefully, not trusting herself to speak.

"Then you all got very lucky. Except for you, I suppose," he said to Hope. "I have had a few worse cases than yours, although you seem to be one that is heading for the top of the list."

"I'm honored," Hope muttered before coughing again.

When they were done being looked over and the doctor had taken care of the smoke inhalation, they went to the room where Miles was being kept.

A nurse was just leaving the room as they came by. "I'm sorry, but you cannot enter. We're busy trying to take care of him."

"Will he be ok?" Hope asked.

"Well… we're not sure. His arms and legs were broken, along with a few ribs. Really, it depends on how strong he is. He could either make a full recovery, or he might be crippled for life. It seems unlikely that he will die-that is the only good news at the moment."

"I see. Thanks," Hope said before they left.

"Thanatos is going to die a torturous death when we catch up to him," Rue growled.

"What about Max?" Hope pointed out.

"…Quit ruining my death threats."

Before they left, they stopped by Will's room to see how he was doing. Neo looked over to them as they entered.

"Hi. What are all of you doing here?"

"Miles was injured," Larka explained.

Neo sat up in surprise. "Miles? He's here? How?"

"We'll tell you about it later," Rue said. "How is Will doing?"

"It just keeps getting worse and worse…" Neo sighed. "But he's been talking in his sleep now. That is one reason I was so surprised about Miles."

"Why do you say that?" Hope asked.

"Last night, I managed to make out what Will was saying. He said, 'Miles... why are you there? Why are you watching the fire?'"

"The fire? But that's what happened!" Rue exclaimed. "Are you saying Will… I dunno… saw the future?"

"If that's the case, you had better know what he said after today, in the morning," Neo stated. "I think… yes, it was, 'Hope… are you alright? Breathe slowly… it'll be ok now…'"

"What? Now that's just odd," Brandi commented. "Hope did have trouble breathing today due to smoke inhalation, so maybe that's what he meant?"

"I don't know," Neo shrugged. "If he says anything else, I'll tell you."

"Thanks," Hope nodded. "We have to get back now. We'll try to visit again later."

-----

"We're back," Claire called as they walked in.

"About time! How did it go?" Gaston asked.

"Well, we're fine, but Miles is not," Hope said. "He's in a terrible condition…"

"We can talk about that later," Perseus told her. "But not now. We have something to show you that Daine found."

Daine walked over to Larka, handing her the note. She read it aloud to the others. "Three down, but several more to go. Come to the roof of the condo across from yours at 8 PM. Signed, Thanatos."

To be continued…__


	6. Warriors of Zera Clash! Archangel Zeraat...

Writer's block is evil. It has been blocking off this chapter until I finally managed to destroy it. –Hides dynamite- You saw nothing. Anyway, chapter up at long last, enjoy!

John: They keep going after Thanatos because if they stay where they are, they're as good as dead. –Is smashed by pumpkin- Ow… you didn't have to do that…

Captain Obvious: Because they have bigger problems at hand? Or they just can't see the obvious.

Demon Fan: Yes, we ALL know my threats MUST be literal. Yep.

**Chapter 6: Warriors of Zera Clash! Archangel Zeraato vs. Devil Mazera!**

"Again? Why won't he just leave us alone?" Hope asked despairingly. "He's already taken down Zack, Will, and Miles. Isn't that enough?!"

"Not for his standards," Rue said grimly. "And it suits me fine. I want to take him down."

"Don't be so rash," Perseus chastised. "It will be very difficult to defeat him. His deck is very strong, and his physical strength is even mightier."

"I know!" Rue snapped. "But I can't help it. I just want to tear the bastard apart!"

"So I guess we will be going to the meeting place?" Larka assumed.

"It seems that way…" Mana nodded. "But on the roof?"

"Thanatos is done playing around," Rue stated. "That suits me fine… I'm done too."

"No…" Hope shook her head. "He's been playing with us this entire time, and he won't stop. He knows he has the advantage over us… he could kill us all instantly if he wanted to. But he forces us to duel. Don't you see? He's toying with us, like a cat with a live mouse."

"The only problem is that the mouse dies eventually," Brandi said.

"But as long as it does live, it has a chance to escape," Hope pointed out. "It's a very small chance, but one nevertheless. That's why we must keep facing Thanatos… so we have a chance to live."

"Yeah. At least we still have him outnumbered," Gaston said.

"He keeps taking us out though, one by one," Larka shuddered.

"So who will be the unlucky one tonight?" Perseus wondered.

"We won't know until we go," Hope sighed. "In the meantime, we should rest and prepare ourselves for evening."

"Right," Perseus agreed. "But how will we get to the top of the condo?"

"There's a stair case we can use," Brandi explained. "By eight, everyone in that condo is likely to not be there, so there shouldn't be any interference."

"Alright then. Let's get some sleep," Claire suggested.

"In the middle of the day?" Rue asked.

"Why not? I'm really tired. That fire incident really took it out of me," Claire stated.

"I see your point," Hope responded.

"If you all want to rest, I can stay up," Daine offered. "I am not weary. I can wake you up at seven thirty, if you can sleep that long."

"Thanks," Brandi replied, glancing at the clock. "It's about five thirty now… two hours of sleep wouldn't be too bad. It will probably help us get over any side effects the smoke left."

They went to their designated places. Before Larka got into bed, she went over to Zack.

"Is he still unconscious?" Hope inquired.

"Yes. It's only a matter of time though," Larka sighed, getting into bed. Malon pounced onto her chest, causing her to gasp.

Hope laughed. "It looks like he's fully recovered, at least."

"Thankfully… or should I be unhappy about that?" Larka joked. She petted Malon until he crawled over to her side, lying down next to her.

Within minutes, everyone was fast asleep, except for Daine. He lay outside on the roof, staring at the sun, waiting for it to tell him it was seven thirty. Beside him, Fell leaned against the side of the roof, also sleeping.

-----

Lilian shook her head sadly as she looked at the thermometer. "He's getting worse."

Neo just stared at Will. "I wish I could do something."

"As do I. The good news is that this change is slow. He's showing signs of living longer than most. If that's the case, we might get a cure for it in time. Macina Corp is saying they are close to having one… maybe it will be ready before it is too late."

"I hope so," Neo said in a depressed tone.

"I'm going to see how your other friend is doing… Miles, is it?"

"Yeah," Neo nodded. "See you later."

She left, and Neo was allowed to go back to his thoughts. He tried not to think about what Will was going through, but puzzled over the things he had said. He had, in a way, predicted that Miles would be responsible for a fire. What he had said about Hope was puzzling too. Was he referring to the smoke inhalation, or something else?

Then the silence was broken by Will. He was muttering something frantically. Neo went over to him at once.

"No… leave me alone! I… I haven't… done anything to any of you! Please… don't…"

"Will! Calm down!" Neo commanded, grabbing his hand.

"Don't… please… I never…" Will broke off, still shaking.

"It's alright! Please Will, you'll be fine!" Neo tried to comfort him.

After a few seconds, Will suddenly relaxed, saying in a soft tone, "Neo… you're still there, aren't you? I can feel it…" Then he was still once more.

Neo sighed in relief. "Thank goodness that didn't last for long… But he acted as if he knew I was nearby. That's a slight improvement, isn't it?" He gently put his hand on Will's forehead, even though it was burning hot. "Hang in there Will… you can make it… please, you have to be able to make it…"

-----

Daine glanced up at the sun once more, and saw that it was almost below the horizon. It was time to wake the others up.

He went over to Fell. "Master."

Fell woke up instantly, and glanced over at Daine.

"It is time to get ready." Daine then left the roof, Fell following.

When he entered the room, he went over to Malon, licking him gently. Malon opened his adorable eyes, blinking a few times, before getting up and cocking his head at Daine.

"Will you please wake up the others?" Daine requested. Then he walked out of the room.

Malon's shrill barking was better than any alarm clock they could have gotten. Everyone was awoken instantly, most of them shocked. When he jumped on Hope, she leapt backwards in surprise, falling off of the bed and onto Rue.

"OUCH! I was awake dang it!" Rue growled.

"Sorry!" Hope apologized, getting off of him.

Larka glared at Daine as he walked in, looking quite innocent. "You asked him to do that, didn't you?"

"It worked, did it not?" Daine replied.

"Remind me to get you back for that later," Rue grumbled, rising as well. "So, what last minute preparations do we have to make?"

"We need to make sure our decks are ready," Brandi stated. "And that's about it, I guess."

They spent about twenty minutes to be properly awake, and check over their decks. When it was ten to eight, they left the condo.

By now, it was dark. They followed Brandi to the condo Thanatos had been referring to. When they got close to it, they were able to grasp just how big it was. It looked to be about twelve stories tall, at least.

"You're kidding me!" Rue exclaimed. "We're going to be on the roof of that thing?!"

"Looks like it," Claire shivered.

"I hate heights…" Rue muttered as they went to the staircase.

They swiftly ascended it, and were soon on the rooftop. To their surprise, they saw the one they were looking for already there.

"You're early," Thanatos said, turning to them with a smirk. "But all the better. I was getting tired of waiting."

His eyes connected with Hope's. Again, she felt a sick, overwhelming, painful sensation. She groaned, clasping her hands to her head.

"Are you alright?" Gaston asked her.

"It's not… as bad as it was… before…" Hope assured. But she tried to avoid looking at Thanatos.

"Let's get right to it," Rue snarled. "Who do you want to duel this time?"

"Why the rush?" Thanatos asked calmly.

"I don't want to have to look at you any longer than I have to," Rue growled.

"So, you do not like my appearance? I suppose that is reasonable," Thanatos shrugged. "Very well. You don't need to look at me like this. You can, if you want to, speak with someone in a more pleasing form."

"What do you mean?" Gaston demanded.

Thanatos closed his eyes. Hope decided to risk looking at him again, and when she did so, saw his aura. But she never got to see Thanatos' true aura. There was hardly any evil left now… it was fading away… becoming one that was much more familiar…

"Max!" Hope gasped.

Everyone stared at Thanatos as he opened his eyes. But it wasn't Thanatos that looked back at them. Now his eyes were normal as he viewed them.

"Yeah… it's me," he nodded. "Hi guys."

"But how?" was all Rue could say.

"I'm still here," Max shrugged. "Thanatos might keep saying I'm dead, but I'm not."

"Thank God for that," Hope sighed.

"So, are you ok sis?" he asked Brandi. "Did you recover from that fall?"

Brandi couldn't speak. She forced herself to nod.

"What about you?" Rue said. "You've been under the control of a psycho for the past few days! Are you going to be alright?"

Max remained silent for a few seconds, before finally saying what he had to. "No, I'm not. I'm killing all of you! I knew this would happen… I should have tried to stop it somehow… but I can't! It hurts… to be taken over… it hurts me to have to turn against you! Please, just kill me! End it all! I can't take it…"

Then he trailed off, closing his eyes. Hope instantly tore her gaze away before his eyes reopened.

"As heartwarming as that was, I'm afraid I'll have to break up your conversation there," Thanatos sneered.

Brandi fell onto her knees, sobbing into her hands. Larka went over to her, trying to reassure her. "It'll be ok… we'll get Max back somehow…"

Everyone else was pretty deeply shaken as well. They were relieved that Max was still there, but despaired as well. How could they possibly kill Thanatos, knowing that Max was inside of him?

"You sick bastard!" Rue growled.

"Insulting me will not get you anywhere," Thanatos told him. "You said you wanted to get on with the duel? Fine by me. I am tired of waiting." He indicated to Claire. "You are the opponent I wish to face now."

"What?" Claire said in shock.

"No way in hell!" Rue yelled.

"Would you prefer that I kill her before she has a chance to try to live?" Thanatos smirked.

"…Damn it all…" Rue said furiously.

Claire stared at Thanatos, shaking slightly. "But… but…"

Perseus stepped up. "We have to try Claire. You know this, don't you?"

Claire took a deep breath before activating her Duel Disk. "Yes. I do know. But it doesn't make me feel any better.

Claire: 8000

Thanatos: 8000

"I'll… go first," Claire said nervously. "I lay one monster in defense mode, and one card down. And I end."

"I shall start on the offense. I will first play my Lair of Ten Thousand Demon Lords."

Even though they had seen the gruesome field emerge two times already, it was still a sinister thing to view. Claire eyed the ground nervously before forcing herself to look back at Thanatos.

"And then I summon Shadow Knight Demon. (2000/1600) He attacks your defense monster."

"You've attacked my Marshmallon. (300/500) When you attack it in face down defense mode, you lose 1000 Life Points."

Claire: 8000

Thanatos: 7000

"Also, Marshmallon cannot be destroyed as a result of battle."

"How annoying. I'll end my turn."

"I was hoping you would play your Lair soon," Claire said. "Now I can play my Sanctuary of the Sky. That will destroy your Lair."

"Nice change in décor," Gaston commented as the temple replaced the golden field.

"Now I sacrifice Marshmallon to summon Agent of Judgment, Saturn. (2400/0) He attacks your Shadow Knight Demon. That's all for me."

Claire: 8000

Thanatos: 6600

Claire was beginning to grow a bit calmer, since she was in the lead. But she did not let down her guard, knowing it could all change in just one move.

"Blasted Sanctuary…" Thanatos muttered. "I place a monster in defense mode and end my turn."

Sensing an advantage, Claire was ready to seize a major lead. "I summon Warrior of Zera! (1600/1600) Then I sacrifice him to special summon Archangel Zeraato! (2800/2300) Then I activate my face down card, Ceasefire Treaty! It flips over all our face down monsters, and you lose 500 Life Points for each effect monster!"

"My Hell Pawn Demon… (1200/200)"

"Excellent! With three effect monsters, you lose 1500 Life Points!"

Claire: 8000

Thanatos: 5100

I will also have Perseus use his Deck Master ability on Zeraato. This gives him a trample ability for one turn. And if he does battle damage to you, I will be able to draw one card. Then I'll have Zeraato attack Hell Pawn Demon! Then Saturn attacks directly!"

Claire: 8000

Thanatos: 100

"She's doing great so far!" Mana said brightly. "It looks like she's going to win!"

"If she still has Saturn and her Sanctuary on her next turn… she wins for sure," Hope stated.

"What? How?" Larka inquired.

"With Sanctuary on the field, she can activate Saturn's effect," Hope explained. "By sacrificing him, she does damage that is the difference between their Life Points. She managed to use that against Brandi once."

"Good gosh," Larka breathed. "That means Thanatos would take 7900 damage! Is that right?"

"Yeah, your math is correct," Hope nodded. "Let's hope Claire can pull it off!"

"Excellent Claire!" Perseus said. "We've almost got him!"

Thanatos, however, had other plans. "First, I play Jar of Greed." He looked at his two new cards and smirked. "Well, I can't just let you win by using Saturn's ability, can I? I'm well aware of what it can do, and I won't give you the chance to do it. I play Terra Forming, putting another Lair into my hand. Then I play it, destroying your Sanctuary."

"Not good," Claire murmured as the temple vanished, being replaced by the gold battlefield.

"This is quite ironic, wouldn't you agree? I summon Warrior of Zera. (1600/1600) And I sacrifice him to special summon Devil Mazera. (2800/2300) Due to him being special summoned, you are forced to discard three cards from your hand."

"That means I lose my entire hand…" Claire realized. "My Mudora, Zolga, and Mysterious Chinese Nabe are gone…"

"Then I attack Saturn with Devil Mazera."

Claire: 7600

Thanatos: 100

"Then I lay one card down, and end my turn."

Claire slowly looked at her next card, and smiled slightly. "This may not be the best thing to have gotten in this situation, but it'll help. I play another Sanctuary!"

"I can't allow you to do that," Thanatos stated. "I activate Curse of Magic-Sealing. By discarding Degradation, your Sanctuary is negated and destroyed. You are also not allowed to play any more for the rest of the game."

"…I end…" Claire said.

"Lost your confidence?" Thanatos smirked. "You have a good reason to have though. I summon Demon Soldier. (1900/1500) Then I have Devil Mazera attack Archangel Zeraato."

Mazera leapt at Zeraato, who raised his hands, blasting his foe with light energy. Yet the Mazera kept going, right through the energy, until it reached Zeraato, slashing it to bits with its claws. Then, when Zeraato was gone, it collapsed, fading away.

"A clash of the two Warrior of Zera summons," Hope said. "Normally, I'd be much more interested, but I'm too nervous now…"

"Demon Soldier attacks directly."

Claire: 5700

Thanatos: 100

Claire shook her head. "I can't even play anything… I pass…"

"I summon Genocide King Demon. (2000/1500) Both of them attack directly."

Claire: 2800

Thanatos: 100

"I can at least do something this turn," Claire declared. "I lay one monster in defense mode and end my turn."

"But it will not help you," Thanatos stated. "I summon another Shadow Knight Demon. (2000/1600) He attacks your defense monster."

"My Kelbek… (1500/1800) Your Shadow Knight Demon is sent back to your hand."

"That does not matter. Demon Soldier attacks, and Genocide King Demon destroys you."

Claire: 0

Thanatos: 100

"How did this happen?" Larka exclaimed. "Claire was winning! But…"

Claire shook her head as the field vanished. "I should have been more careful… I should have thought things through…"

"But you didn't," Thanatos said, stepping towards her. "And you will pay for your mistake…"

Perseus went forward as well, ready to fight if necessary. But Claire was paralyzed, for she looked into his eyes.

Those blood shot eyes… she could not move, could not think anything but one thought: _I'm going to die._ And she only felt one emotion: a terrible fear that consumed her. She was too terrified to cry out, to defend herself, or to run. She could only stand there in terror.

"Claire!" Hope exclaimed.

Malon let out a shrill whine as Larka watched in horror. Brandi was still upset over Max, but was unable to tear her eyes from the scene that unfolded. Fell just watched silently.

Rue immediately sprung into action though. Without hesitation, he charged at Thanatos.

"STAY AWAY FROM HER!" he yelled, leaping at Thanatos.

_Perfect_, Thanatos thought. _He did exactly what I wanted him to do._

He caught Rue by the arm, and then threw him off the left side of the condo.

This broke Claire out of her trance. "Rue!" she cried, running over to the edge of the roof.

The others were still in shock, and could not do anything. Except for one other person.

Although Brandi was still distressed, this action also seemed to snap her out of it. She leapt off after him, grabbing him as they fell. Then she tried to adjust herself midair, so that they would land on their feet. When training for speed, she had become skilled in altering the way she fell.

However, with so little planning time, Brandi was unable to do it exactly as she wanted. She managed to land successfully, but when Rue hit the ground, a sharp snap echoed through the area with a scream of pain.

Claire paled at the sound of the cry. She was too far up to see what was happening down there, especially since it was nighttime, and she feared the worst. Hope could only stare over the edge, horrified. Larka sank down to her knees, overwhelmed by how fast the terrifying events had happened. Fell turned to Thanatos, bracing himself in case he came closer to them.

Thanatos laughed coldly. "No need to worry. My work here is done. It's much more satisfying to pick you off one by one. Now that he is dealt with, I will leave the rest of you to deal with later, so that you have time to dread my return. That is how I live-fear is an appetizer, and death is my main course." Then he leapt off of the building.

Fell walked over to where he had been, kneeling down to look at the ground.

Daine went over to him. "Master? What is it?" Then he saw what he was staring at, and sniffed it. "Thanatos' blood? Or should I say Max's? What does this mean, master?"

"He never covered the wound Will gave him," Fell said quietly. "But why?"

"I see. Does that mean he does not care about blood loss? Is this Max's way of trying to kill himself? Or did he simply forget about it? He did not seem to be in pain when Will stabbed him… so is he unaffected?"

Meanwhile, the others were silent, thinking over what had happened, except for Ruecian. He ran over to the stairs instantly, going down them. Mana looked over the edge again.

"I'm going to see how they are," she said, breaking the silence. "You guys take the stairs."

"…Alright," Gaston replied. "We'll be right there."

Mana leapt off, floating down. The others stayed there for a few moments, before Claire suddenly ran to the stairs, and started going down them as fast as she could. Perseus went after her.

"Do you think… that Rue… and Brandi are…?" Hope said shakily.

"It could be, but we can't be sure," Gaston assured. "Let's not jump to conclusions." He walked over to the stairs, Hope following.

Larka picked up Malon, who was still whining frantically. "Fell, come on! We need to get down there!" And without waiting for his response, she went down as well.

Fell got up. Giving the blood one last look, he followed his sister, with Daine by his side.

-----

Claire looked around frantically as she left the building, and suddenly saw something. She ran over to the side of the building.

Brandi was kneeling next to Rue, looking over him. Mana was next to her, asking her something. Ruecian was there too, holding onto Rue's right hand, a gesture meant to reassure him.

For one heart-stopping second, she thought Rue was dead when she saw him lying on the ground, his eyes closed. But as she ran over to them, she saw that he was breathing painfully, and looked extremely pale and sick. Overall, he seemed uninjured, except for his left leg, which was bent in a sickening way.

"Rue!" she exclaimed, sitting down beside him as well. "What happened?! Are you ok?!" she asked anxiously, although she was pretty sure she knew the answer to her second question.

Rue opened his eyes at the sound of her talking. "Claire… are you hurt?" he managed to ask.

"No, I'm fine!" she assured. "Forget about me… what about you?"

"My leg… it hurts like hell… OUCH!" he snarled as Brandi lightly touched it.

By now, the rest of them had arrived. Normally, Rue would have been in more of a panic, but having Ruecian there had made him feel a lot calmer. Although his Soul Monster's quiet nature could often get on his nerves, it was a great comfort now.

"Judging by that snap, I'd say your leg is broken," Brandi stated grimly. Her face was still marked by the tears she had shed, but she was either ignoring it or was not aware of it. "We need to get you to the hospital."

"We should get a discount there, we go to it so often," Gaston joked, but in a half-hearted way.

Mana got up at once. "I'll go call them. You guys stay here. I'll also tell Hime what happened, and when we'll be back." Before anyone could respond, she was gone.

Rue was trying to ignore the pain as best as he could, but was not succeeding very well. But his thoughts on it were interrupted when he saw Claire's eyes, shining with tears that threatened to come any second.

"Claire… what's wrong?" Rue asked. "I thought you… weren't injured?"

"This is… all my fault…" Claire sobbed, trying to wipe her eyes with her sleeve. "If I had just finished off Thanatos when I had the chance, you wouldn't even be hurt… I wasn't even thinking! I didn't want you to be hurt, Rue, I really didn't…"

"It wasn't you," Rue managed to say. "You didn't manage to win… so what? We all lose some. Now you will hopefully learn from your mistakes and be a better player."

"But look at what happened to you!" Claire cried. "If I had just thought things through…"

"If, if, and more ifs," Rue interrupted. "What is the point in ifs? It doesn't matter what would happen if we had done something… because it's already done…"

"But…" she trailed off as he grabbed her other arm with his free hand.

"Why do you think I tried to stop Thanatos? I didn't want him to harm you. I don't care about what happens to me… as long as you're safe… ok? Don't make that error again… but for your sake, not mine…"

He was cut off when she embraced him, still crying. "It's alright… ouch… you can let go now… I'm still in pain you know…"

She released him at once, wiping away the rest of her tears. "I'm so sorry..."

"Don't stress over it," he told her. "At least I got away with only a broken leg… so far, I'm the luckiest out of anyone who's tangled with Thanatos, right?"

She nodded with a small smile. Even when in pain, he was still able to joke around-it was so like him.

Hope looked over at Brandi. "What about you? Are you ok?"

"I'm not even hurt," Brandi replied. "I was able to land perfectly, but Rue landed in an awkward position. That's why he has a broken bone. I'm sorry I couldn't prevent an injury in the first place," she said to Rue.

"Hey, you saved my life… I think that counts for something," Rue replied. "Thanks."

Mana suddenly came dashing back. "They'll be here any second. I called them first, and then told Hime about what was going on afterwards."

Coincidentally, the ambulance pulled up right after she spoke. And once more, the two men leapt out of it.

"We've pretty much memorized the route to your condo," the second one laughed as he helped get Rue on a stretcher. "You kids sure do get into a lot of problems, don't you?"

"To say the least," Gaston muttered.

All the Soul Monsters but Ruecian and Malon went into their Soul Cards while the others boarded the ambulance. Malon refused to stay inside his, and since the faster they got there, the better, Larka decided not to argue and just carried him.

Ruecian and Claire took places beside Rue while the others stayed at the other side. The ride to the hospital was silent, except for Rue's short, agonizing breaths.

When they arrived, the doctor who was to set Rue's leg went out to see the rest of the group briefly. "It would be better if you waited out here until I'm done. I'll allow one to come; that's it."

Everyone looked at Claire and Ruecian. Claire shook her head. "Ruecian would help him more at this point. So you go."

Ruecian nodded, and followed the doctor as he went back to the examining room.

Rue looked over at them as they entered. "So… shall we get this over with?" he suggested, wincing.

"Of course. I need to get some equipment-I'll be right back." The doctor went, leaving Rue and Ruecian in the room.

"Dang… I hate it when I feel so darn nervous," Rue sighed. "But I can't help it. I know it's just a broken bone, and that this won't hurt much… but that doesn't comfort me much…"

Ruecian simply took his hand again.

Rue smiled at the gesture. "It's times like this that I'm really glad you're with me, pal. You know exactly how to help when I need it, don't you? Even when I was killed by Satan… you gave me the courage I needed to accept that. I don't know where I'd be without you…"

Ruecian gave a small smile of his own in response to that.

-----

"How long do you think this will take?" Larka asked.

"I'm not sure," Hope replied, shaking her head. "I've never had a broken bone. While we're waiting, how about we see how Will and Miles are doing?"

"It's better than sitting around here," Larka agreed, trying to hold on to a squirming Malon. He wanted to explore the hospital, but Larka was afraid of what kind of chaos would ensue if she let him.

"Let's see how Miles is first, since he's closer," Hope suggested.

During the walk, Brandi still did not speak. She seemed absorbed in her own thoughts.

They found the door, but before they could approach it, it opened, and Lilian stepped out.

"Hi," Hope said.

"Oh, hi to you too," Lilian replied. "Coming to visit him?"

"Yeah. Is that alright?" Larka inquired.

"At this point, I don't see why not," Lilian shrugged. "Tell me when you're done though-I'll be in Will's room."

"Got it," Hope said.

They went inside, and looked over at Miles. He looked a little bit better than he had when they had last seen him, but not that much. Both of his arms were in casts, and that was all they could see from his injuries. The bed sheet covered his chest and legs, but they could guess what state those were in anyway.

"Poor Miles," Hope sighed. "I wonder why he agreed to help Thanatos?"

"We won't know until he wakes up," Larka said. "And even then, he might not tell us. Hopefully he will."

"Yeah…" Then something hit Hope. "Wait a minute. Why didn't Miles bring Gen?"

"What do you mean?" Larka inquired.

"Think about it! If Miles had brought Gen, he could have had Gen assist him when he was betraying us. But he said Gen had stayed at his home, right?"

"I think it was actually his apartment," Larka corrected.

"Yeah, you're right. Either way, why would Gen remain there? He'd either want to help Miles…"

"Or stop him from trying to betray us!" Larka realized.

"Miles would never try to harm Gen," Hope stated. "No matter what. But then… where would Gen be? Do you think Thanatos got him?"

"Maybe Miles sealed him back into his Soul Card?" Brandi suggested. She put aside her other feelings for the moment. There would be time to think over that later.

"If that's the case…" Hope walked slowly over to his bed, and pulled aside the sheet, revealing his right side. As she had suspected, his leg was in a cast as well, but she tried not to pay attention to that. She carefully slipped her hand into his pocket, bringing out a Soul Card, and then replaced the sheet. Then she held out the card.

Gen emerged instantly, and gave Hope a surprised glance. "Hope? What's going on? The last thing I can remember was… Miles! Where is he?" He looked over at the bed and paled. "What the…"

"Gen, what is the last thing you can remember?" Hope asked.

Gen walked over to the bed slowly, gazing down at his companion. In a few seconds, he managed to respond. "Thanatos came to us. He wanted to make a deal with Miles. In exchange for helping him, he would erase Miles' memory. Permanently."

"Erase his memory?!" Larka said in shock.

"And he agreed?" Brandi inferred.

"He seemed to be heading in that direction. I strongly disapproved, but he sealed me away… that's all I know," Gen said softly.

"He went through with it," Hope said. "He trapped us in a house that Thanatos tried to burn down. We all got away, but Ruecian found Miles like this. We assume Thanatos is behind it."

Gen shook his head. "It's all my fault. I should have told you all how Miles was acting…"

"What do you mean?" Hope inquired.

"Ever since he was in the church, he has been acting as though he doesn't want to go on. He wanted to die, saying he didn't deserve to live after all he had done, and things such as that… I didn't tell any of you, because he didn't want me to. But it would have been better if I had. When I couldn't find any of you in Teknisk Wereld, I told him that I was concerned. He did not seem to care though. It was then I realized that the next opportunity I had, I would have to tell you about his condition." He sighed. "But now it's too late…"

"It isn't too late," Hope disagreed. "When he wakes up, we can help him."

"Even after all he has done?"

Hope looked at his still figure. "He had to have had a reason. I want to hear why he did it before I choose whether to forgive him or not. I want to hear, in his own words, why. Then I'll make my choice."

Gen sat down in the one chair in the room. "Thanks for giving him a chance. If there's anything he really needs at this moment, it's friends."

Hope went over to the door. "We'll tell you about what else has happened to us, but not yet. You have enough to worry about. For now, look after Miles."

"Of course. Will you come back?"

"Occasionally," Hope replied. "By then, he'll hopefully have woken up."

"One question," Gen said. "Why are you here? Did you come just to see Miles?"

"No, we just went in because we have some time to spend while waiting for Rue," Larka replied. "He has a broken leg."

Gen winced. "That doesn't sound good."

"Yeah," Hope nodded. "Oh, by the way, Will is also here. He's infected with a virus. Neo's staying with him, so if you want details on what happened, ask him."

"Sure," Gen replied. "Thanks again."

"We'll see you later," Hope said, and they left the room, heading for Will's.

"Hey," Neo greeted as they stepped in.

"Are you done in Miles' room?" Lilian asked, getting up from the chair she had been sitting in.

"Yes. By the way, his Soul Monster will be staying with him from now on," Hope stated.

"That's fine," Lilian said. "I'll see you all later." Then she left the room.

"So how is he doing now?" Hope questioned.

"Worse," Neo sighed. "But Lilian thinks he'll live longer than most, which is good..." Then he looked over at them. "Wait. Did you say Gen was with Miles?"

"Yes. Ask him about it later," Hope told him.

"I'll be sure to."

While they were talking, Larka went over to Will, placing her hand gently on his own.

"He's so hot…" she murmured.

Malon gave a small whine.

Then she suddenly heard something. Will was whispering something.

"Don't cry… Fell's tough, isn't he? He'll be ok… stay strong for him, Larka…"

Then he was quiet once more.

Larka removed her hand, feeling somewhat disturbed by what she had heard. What had it meant?

"What's wrong Larka?" Hope asked.

"Oh, it's nothing…" She looked over at Fell, who merely gazed back.

"I wonder if we should go back?" Claire asked anxiously. She had not taken part in many of the conversations, worrying about Rue.

"Go back?" Neo asked.

"We're here because Rue broke his leg," Brandi stated.

"Ouch," Neo grimaced. "That's got to hurt."

"It could have been worse," Larka pointed out. "Either way, we'd better go see."

Neo nodded. "Later then."

They went back down the hall, and into the waiting room to wait.

After a while, the ones they had been waiting for finally arrived. Rue came over to them, leaning on two crutches. Ruecian was behind him, and the doctor behind him.

"Are you alright?" Hope asked.

"Not too bad considering," Rue stated.

"Make sure he remains off of that leg," the doctor ordered.

Rue sighed. "Geez, I can remember by myself."

"But will you follow those orders? Possibly not. Therefore, I'm going to make sure your friends are well aware."

"There wasn't any need to," Rue said. "Ruecian's going to make sure I stay in bed. He's so darn strict about my health that he'd make Ms. Gales envious."

Hope laughed. "Is that even possible?"

"Yes," Rue stated, rolling his eyes.

"Do you have a way to get home?" the doctor asked.

"We'll walk, but what about Rue?" Brandi asked.

"He can ride Perseus," Claire suggested.

"That should work," Hope agreed. "So let's get going."

"Oh, one last thing," the doctor said. "Rue, tomorrow you will have to go to the rehab clinic."

"What? I have to have rehab?" Rue asked in disgust.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. You may stay at your home for tonight, but tomorrow you need to go there. Alright?"

"Fine," Rue sighed. "If it's necessary."

"What's a rehab clinic?" Hope asked.

Rue shook his head. "You really need to take your vocabulary lessons more seriously."

"Ok, my variety of words sucks! I know that! Now can you please explain?"

"They basically teach you how to walk again," Rue explained. "Not much more to it. Brandi, do you know where this clinic is?"

"Yes, I do. I'll bring you to it tomorrow."

With a few difficulties, they managed to get Rue onto Perseus' back. After the other Soul Monsters emerged, they were off.

Along the way, Hope explained about what had happened with Gen.

"I thought it was kind of odd that he hadn't come with Miles," Gaston nodded. "I'm glad he's alright, at least."

"Yeah," Larka nodded.

Soon they reached the condo. Brandi opened the door, and after some trial and error, Perseus and Rue managed to get through the door. The others followed.

Hime came running up to them. "Thank goodness you're back!" she exclaimed.

"What's wrong?" Brandi inquired.

"It's Ender," she said. "He's missing!"

-----

Vlad pressed a few more buttons on the console.

"There. It's on," he smirked. "Now we'll see…"

To be continued…


	7. An Unexpected Three on Three Duel

Two in one day! It's been a while since I've pulled that off.

I was getting sick of writing millions of Thanatos duels, so here is a duel that, for once, doesn't involve Thanatos! Enjoy, because it'll be the last filler you guys get for a while!

**Chapter 7: An Unexpected Three on Three Duel**

"Missing?" Brandi echoed.

"Yes. I can't find him anywhere!" Hime said nervously.

"What about Chasity? Does she know?" Claire asked.

"She has been asleep this whole time," Hime replied. "I thought Ender was too, but obviously I thought wrong…"

"I'll help you look," Brandi decided at once.

"We'll help too," Hope volunteered. Claire and Larka nodded, while Fell just watched.

"I'd love to assist, but I kind of won't be able to," Rue said in disgust, eying his leg.

"Oh, right! You need a place to rest," Hope realized.

"No duh," Rue muttered.

Claire looked at Hope and Larka. "Do you think it'd be alright if he got the bed?"

"Not a problem," Hope shrugged.

"I don't mind," Larka said.

"Thanks," Rue said. "Well, ready whenever."

Perseus immediately left for the living room, Ruecian following.

"So where should we begin searching?" Hope wondered.

"Do you think he might have gone into Teknisk Wereld, like before?" Gaston queried.

"You might be right," Brandi nodded. "So let's go there to look. Hime, can you search around here?"

"Yes. I shall remain in the real world," Hime said.

"In that case, we should go at once," Hope stated. "How about we come back in an hour to exchange results?"

"That would be fine," Hime agreed.

"Ok then. We'll see you soon Hime."

"Right."

They went to the living room, getting on their Envoyant Machines.

"See you in a bit Rue," Claire told him.

"Yeah. Good luck."

Then they were unconscious.

Rue sighed. "I can already tell I'm going to be bored… what to do…" He turned to Ruecian. "Want to read me a story?"

Ruecian gave him a look of complete disgust.

"I was just kidding! Don't kill me over a joke," Rue said. Then he got out his deck and shuffled it. "Only one thing to do, I guess…"

-----

They arrived by the lake edge instantly.

"So where should we go?" Hope asked.

Brandi began giving the orders. "I'll look around the lake. Claire, you check the city. Hope, look around the canyon. Fell, you're in charge of the mountains. And Larka, the forest is your region. Any objections? Good. We'll meet up in thirty minutes."

-----

After thirty minutes had passed, they were back in the lake area.

"Anything?" Brandi asked Hope and Gaston, the last ones to arrive.

"No," Hope sighed. "Any luck with you guys?"

"Not a thing," Larka shook her head. "And we searched everywhere he could be."

"He could not have gone beyond the mountains or water," Claire stated. "So yeah, we've looked everywhere…"

Suddenly, they heard a scream of pain from the forest.

"What was that?!" Hope exclaimed.

"A person that might be in trouble," Larka guessed. "Let's check it out!"

Daine led the way into the forest, and started sniffing the ground. Malon joined him.

Suddenly, the young dog's ears perked up. With a howl of glee, the puppy ran into the woods.

"Where is he going?" Perseus asked.

Daine sniffed for a few seconds more, and then grinned fiercely. "Master, may I join him?"

Fell, once more, just shrugged.

Daine charged through the forest, the others following him. And suddenly, they caught sight of the commotion.

There were already four people in the clearing. When Hope saw what was going on, she began to laugh.

Dangling from Toan's left arm was Cow, and from his right was Malon. Daine had his right leg as well. Julia was, once more, in too much mirth to help him. Samuel tried to pry Cow off, backing off when Cow let out a fierce snarl. Josh had grabbed Malon's collar and was pulling, but the puppy refused to let go. Maria and Carl seemed too confused to help, and Viper was flying around Toan's head, which was more annoying than useful.

"OW! OW! OW! OW! OW! DAMN DOGS!" Toan roared. "I AM NOT YOUR CHEW TOY! I REPEAT; I AM NOT YOUR CHEW TOY! IT'S NOT FAIR! I NEVER DID ANYTHING TO OFFEND DOGS! I LIKE DOGS! I LOVE DOGS! YET THEY ALL HATE ME! WHY MUST I SUFFER?!"

Larka, Brandi, and Claire couldn't take it any more and joined in with the laughter. Fell just stared at the scene. Mana found it hilarious, while Gaston and Perseus were much like Maria and Carl.

At last, Julia went over to Cow and took him gently. The Milus Radiant instantly let go, licking her. Larka pulled off Malon, and Daine let go on his own, walking back to Fell.

Toan took out three Red Potions and drank them all. After looking at his wounds again, he drank three more.

"That was not funny," Toan growled.

"No, it wasn't-it was hilarious," Hope joked.

Toan muttered something under his breath that Hope was not sure she wanted hear.

"So what are you doing here Hope? Your mom said you're visiting a sick friend of yours?" Julia asked.

"Yeah, that's right," Hope lied. "What about you guys?"

"Just hanging around," Samuel shrugged.

"It's kind of late to be doing that, isn't it?" Claire pointed out, indicating to the night sky.

"Not really," Samuel replied. "We often hang out here this late. Besides, you're an hour ahead of us."

"True," Claire nodded.

"When do you think you're going to be back?" Josh inquired. "We'll need to practice together sometime before school starts, remember?"

"Oh yeah," Hope said sheepishly. "When I go back to Illinois, I'll call you so we can do that."

"Huh?" Claire gave Hope a confused look.

"Josh plays the trumpet," Hope explained. "I play the cornet, which is basically a smaller version of the trumpet. We were going to try to get a few practices in, hopefully with even going over a few duets."

"That makes sense," Claire nodded. "What about the rest of you? Do you play any instruments?"

"I play the flute, and Toan plays the base," Julia replied. "Samuel doesn't play any."

"They're really good musicians," Hope stated. "I'm not nearly as good as them."

"Thank everything they aren't as bad as you," Gaston joked.

"Gee, thanks for the confidence booster," Hope grumbled.

"So, do you have the time for a few free duels?" Josh suggested.

"Sorry, we don't," Hope replied. "Maybe later."

"Alright then," Julia said. "Whenever you can should be good. It isn't like we have any major plans."

"Then we'd better get going," Hope stated. "We'll see you guys later."

"Bye for now," Julia replied.

But before they could leave…

"Hold it right there !"

They turned to see three people jump out from behind the trees into the clearing. It would have been rather dramatic if one hadn't tripped over a tree root, causing the other two to trip and fall onto him.

"Them again?!" Gaston said in exasperation.

Hope slapped her hand over her eyes. "Oh dear gosh…"

"Get off of me !" the one on the bottom snarled. The other two hastily jumped off, and the other got up, dusting himself off. "You aren't going anywhere ! Now we will finally have our revenge !"

"Who the heck are these idiots?" Toan asked.

"The one with the flowered pants is Caleb, the one with the orange and red color scheme is Ifrit, and the one wearing purple is Buster Blader," Hope explained. "I've run into Caleb and Ifrit once, but haven't personally met Buster Blader. Brandi, Fell, and Larka came across the three of them once. Claire hasn't met any of them until now."

"I'm glad I haven't, either," Claire muttered as she looked at the trio.

"We've been waiting for a rematch with you all !" Caleb declared.

"Don't you guys know what it the words 'give up' mean?" Mana inquired.

"I knew this would come in handy!" Ifrit said happily, bringing out a dictionary.

Everyone except Fell and the Soul Monsters facefaulted.

"Hang on, how do you spell it?" Ifrit asked.

Another crash occurred as they facefaulted again.

Caleb seemed furious. "He may not know, but I do ! I just don't let myself give up !"

"Unfortunately," Brandi sighed.

"So accept our challenge !" Caleb demanded.

"Sorry, but we don't have the time to mess with you morons," Gaston stated.

"You can't back out of this!" Buster Blader declared.

Julia looked over at them. "Well, if you guys don't have the time to duel them… how about we do it?"

"Nah, you're weak !" Caleb stated. "We want to duel our worthy rivals !"

"That's right!" chorused Ifrit and Buster Blader.

"…Worthy… rivals? What the heck?" Hope said in disbelief.

"Weak?" Toan turned to his Soul Monster. "Cow. You can't just let him get away with that, can you?"

Cow barked at Malon and Daine. Malon let out a yip, and Daine snarled.

Then Cow leapt at Buster Blader, latching onto his left arm. Malon bit into Ifrit's right arm. Daine bit Caleb's right leg.

The forest echoed with their screams. Ifrit and Buster Blader ran around, shaking the arm with the dog on it. Caleb was trying to pull his leg free from Daine's grasp, but failing. The others were trying to watch the scene, often failing because they were laughing too hard, except for Fell. He jumped up to a tree limb and leaned against the truck, closing his eyes.

After a few minutes of this, Cow, Malon, and Daine let go at the same time, running back to their masters. The assaulted trio immediately began drinking several Red Potions.

Caleb glared at them. "So that's the way you want to fight ?! We'll get you for that ! We'll destroy the owners of these dogs in a duel !"

Larka shook her head. "Toan can duel you if he wants, but I have no desire to…"

"You have no choice !" He looked around for Fell. "Where did that other one go ?"

Buster Blader looked up, and saw Fell on the tree limb, asleep. "Um, I think he's sleeping."

"He's asleep ?! That pansy just doesn't want to duel us !"

"And you're a hypocrite too. Figures," Perseus said in disgust.

Julia beckoned to Samuel and Josh, and they stepped next to Toan.

"We will be your opponents," Julia told them. "If we win, you leave at once. If we lose… well, that doesn't matter, seeing as we won't."

"If we win, you give us all of your rare cards," Ifrit demanded. "Not like you have any, seeing as I have the only four Blue Eyes White Dragons in the world."

"…Um, didn't you pull out thirty last time?" Larka pointed out.

"But only four of them were real!"

Claire sighed. "I give up. Let's just get out of the way and let them duel it out."

"Do you think we'll have enough time to watch the duel?" Hope asked Brandi.

"Probably, as long as they are quick," Brandi said.

"You guys are cheaters!" Buster Blader declared. "This is four on three!"

"You thought Caleb was a hypocrite?" Hope asked Perseus.

"Then I just won't duel," Josh shrugged. "Go ahead you three."

"Thanks," Samuel said, shuffling his deck and inserting it. "Let's see just how bad these guys can get."

"I'll at least select the order for you all," Josh volunteered. "Julia, call heads or tails."

"Heads, since we actually use ours."

Josh caught the coin he had tossed. "Heads. So the order will be Julia, Caleb, Samuel, Ifrit, Toan, and Buster Blader."

"Sounds good to me," Samuel commented.

"It isn't good at all!" Buster Blader exclaimed. "I'm going last, so it can't be good!"

"Self centered moron," Toan muttered.

"Now, fear our Soul Monsters !" Caleb shouted.

And out came the Skull Servant, the Dissolverock, and the Flame Ghost.

It took a while for the other three duelists to be able to activate their Duel Disks. Josh was having trouble breathing still when the duel began.

Julia: 8000

Samuel: 8000

Toan: 8000

Caleb: 8000

Ifrit: 8000

Buster Blader: 8000

"I start by summoning Harpy Lady SB, (1800/1300)" Julia decided. "And I lay two cards down. That's all for me."

"What a weak monster ! I summon Gearfried ! (1800/1600)"

Julia looked from her Harpy Lady to the Gearfreed and back again. "Right. And that's a whole lot stronger, isn't it?"

"When I equip him with my Axe of Despair, it will! It raises his attack by 1000!"

The Gearfreed took the Demon Axe, rolled its eyes, and threw it at Caleb, slamming him over the head. It cracked into two when it hit him, falling apart.

"OW ! What was that for ?!"

"You just don't learn from your errors, do you?" Gaston sighed. "You should have learned by now that Gearfreed destroys any equip card he is equipped with."

"Oh yeah ?! He'll keep this one for sure ! I equip Gearfried with Butterfly Dagger-Elma ! This raises his attack by 300 !"

"He needs to learn their proper names," Samuel muttered. "He's completely mutilating Dagger of Butterflies-Eruma."

The Gearfreed snapped it in half at once.

"What ?! It didn't work ?"

"Did he even hear what I said?" Gaston wondered.

"Blast it ! But if it is destroyed when equipped to a monster, I can put it back into my hand ! So I will keep equipping it to Gearfried until it works !"

The dagger appeared, and again, Gearfreed snapped it. Then it appeared again, and again it was broken. Again, and again, and again, and again…

"At this rate, we're going to lose!" Toan realized.

"Why?" asked Julia.

"If he keeps doing this all night, we're going to have to surrender out of pure boredom. This is even worse than it was watching Will and Samuel's duel."

"Hey!" Samuel protested.

"Then I'll stop him," Julia declared.

"And I'll play it again !"

"I activate Magic Drain," Julia said. "You must either discard a magic card from your hand to be able to keep your Dagger. Otherwise, it's destroyed."

"I have no more magic cards !" Caleb snarled. "So I lose my Dagger . Fine then ! I end my turn !"

"I lay one monster in defense mode, and end my turn," Samuel told them.

"I play Cyber Stein in face up defense mode! (700/500)"

"Uh, hate to break it to you, but you can't play monsters in face up defense mode," Toan told him.

"Kaiba does it all the time, so I can too! I end!"

"Right… ok… I lay one card down and play one monster in defense mode. That's it," Toan said.

"I activate Cheerful Coffin, discarding three Buster Bladers! Then I use Monster Reborn, Premature Burial, and Call of the Haunted to bring them back! (2600/2300)"

"Hey! You can't do that!" Julia protested. "For one thing, you must have had seven cards to do that. You should have only had six. You can't activate Cry of the Living Dead without setting it for one turn. And Raise Dead is banned!"

"I've said it before and I'll say it again; I'm too awesome for the rules! Now I play Wall of Revealing Light!"

"And that does what again?" Samuel inquired.

"I pay a certain amount of Life Points and I'm protected from all monsters with that attack or higher! So I pay 8000! Now you can't do any damage with monsters that have 8000 or lower attack!"

"Um… dude. You just killed yourself," Toan pointed out.

"No I didn't!" Buster Blader looked at his LP count. "Oh, wait… I did! NO!"

Julia: 8000

Samuel: 8000

Toan: 8000

Caleb: 8000

Ifrit: 8000

Buster Blader: 0

After they got over their mirth, Julia pondered what to do. "I'll just have Harpy SB attack Gearfreed. Then I lay one monster in defense mode and end my turn."

"No ! My ultimate monster ! I shall not be defeated though !" He drew, and stared at his hand in dismay. "I can't play any of these ! Ifrit, it's up to you !"

"I'm sure that makes Caleb feel confident," Samuel joked. "I will use my Deck Master's ability. Carl lets me skip my draw phase to put a card with the word 'Guardian' in its name into my hand. Then I shuffle my deck. I'll lay one monster in defense mode and end my turn."

"I'll make you suffer!" Ifrit sneered. "I use my Cyber Stein's effect! By paying 5000 Life Points, I can special summon a Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon! (4500/3800)"

Julia: 8000

Samuel: 8000

Toan: 8000

Caleb: 8000

Ifrit: 3000

Buster Blader: 0

"Then, to make your pain even more terrible to bear, I shall use my Deck Master's ability! Behold, as our Skull Servant and Dissolverock form Flame Ghost!"

The Flame Ghost appeared on the field, and then vanished as Ifrit's Duel Disk deactivated.

Julia: 8000

Samuel: 8000

Toan: 8000

Caleb: 8000

Ifrit: 0

Buster Blader: 0

"Huh? What happened there?" Julia asked in bewilderment.

Hope burst out laughing. "Their effect! It forced Ifrit to pay 3000 Life Points to fuse it!"

"But Buster Blader's Flame Ghost makes it so I don't have to pay!" Ifrit protested.

"Buster Blader, in case you didn't notice, is not in the duel any longer," Toan pointed out.

Ifrit looked over at his defeated partner, then at his Duel Disk. "BUT THAT'S NOT FAIR! YOU CHEATED!"

"What the? I cheated? You're crazier than I am," Toan said.

Samuel sighed. "I'm already sick of looking at these blundering fools."

"Me too," Toan grinned. "That's why I think I'll finish this now. I activate Scape Goat!"

An adorable blue, red, orange, and pink sheep appeared on the field.

Caleb began to laugh. "You idiots think you can defeat me with sheep ? I'll supa pwn you !"

"That… was… ridiculously… lame…" Toan said in disgust. "Any thoughts of letting you live are now gone. I flip over my Milus Radiant! (300/250) Not quite as sweet as my fluffy Cow, but… YEOWCH! RED POTION!"

"I'm surprised he went this long without biting Toan," Hope commented.

"Anyway, as I was saying… Milus Radiant raises all of my Earth Main-Type's attack power by 500. (500/0) (500/0) (500/0) (500/0) (800/250) Also, Cow's Deck Master ability comes into play. He raises all of my Earth Main-Type's attack by 500 and lowers their defense by 400. (1000/0) (1000/0) (1000/0) (1000/0) (1300/0) Then I play Gaia Power! This field magic card raises all Earth Main-Type's attack by 500 and lowers their defense by 400 too. (1500/0) (1500/0) (1500/0) (1500/) (1800/0)"

"But they're just sheep !" Caleb protested.

Toan gave him an evil smile. "They may look cute and cuddly, but they can also kick your ass. For now, I shall my blue, orange, and pink sheep with a Demon Axe each! (2000/0) (2000/0) (2000/0) Then I equip my red one with Power of Magicians! This raises his attack by 500 for each magic and trap card I have on the field. So, the three Demon Axes, the Power of Magicians, and the Gaia Power make that 2500 more attack. (3500/0)"

The three axe-wielding and one fiercely glowing sheep began to grow bigger, absorbing power from Cow, the Milus Radiant, and Gaia Power. Then they suddenly opened their eyes a very tiny bit-just enough to see them glowing red. Caleb stared at them in shock and horror, unable to say anything.

"Now my sheep, STAMPEDE HIM!"

The sheep ran at him, with a long, drawn out "BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Caleb barely had enough time to scream, "HOLY CRAP !" before he was buried by the sheep. A dust cloud concealed them, and everyone but Toan winced at the thuds, slams, chops, slices, snarls from the sheep, and screams from Caleb coming from the dust cloud.

Then the sheep leapt out, running over to Toan, back to their normal size and minus their equips. He picked them up, cuddling them.

"You guys are nearly as cute as Cow, if not just as much. OUCH!" He put down the sheep, and they vanished. Then he grabbed a Red Potion and drank it.

Everyone looked over to see Caleb was in a bloody mess, cuts and bruises everywhere. He was, thankfully, unconscious as well.

Julia: 8000

Samuel: 8000

Toan: 8000

Caleb: 0

Ifrit: 0

Buster Blader: 0

"I thought they were just holograms?" Hope said in confusion. "How could they hurt Caleb?"

"I altered the hologram settings on my Duel Disk," Toan snickered. "I couldn't resist."

"We aren't done with you yet!" Ifrit exclaimed.

"No, but they're done with you!"

Ifrit cringed at the voice, and yelped as his brother slammed him over the head. Then he was grabbed by the shoulder.

"You guys again?" his brother asked, seeing the watchers. "I'm so sorry about this… you were there both times, weren't you, Elven Swordsman?"

"Yeah," Gaston nodded.

"My apologies… these little jerks need to learn how to play," the brother snarled. "I think I'll just have to take their Duel Disks for a while."

"What?! No!" Ifrit cried. "That's not fair!"

"Oh, it's more than fair for you brats! You're coming with me!" He grabbed Ifrit, dragging him away. Buster Blader picked up the injured Caleb and they left.

"That was fun to watch," Hope said. "Thanks for providing the entertainment."

"Not a problem," Toan replied, grabbing Cow by the scruff of his neck.

"Weren't you guys in a hurry to go somewhere?" Josh pointed out.

"Gosh!" Hope paled. "I forgot! We have to go right away!"

Fell leapt down from the tree limb, and they all opened the menus on their Duel Disks.

"You'll try to come back soon, right?" Julia asked.

"Of course," Hope replied. "We'll see you later!"

"Bye!" They all replied, except for Toan, who was cursing under his breath as Cow bit his arm again.

-----

"I attack with Gemini Elf, and you lose 1900 Life Points! Let's see you counter that!"

"Ok. I play Curtain of Black Magic to pay half of my Life Points to special summon Black Magician! Then I use Black Magic Attack to get rid of all of your magic and trap cards!"

"Oh no! I've lost my Magic Cylinder and Cry of the Living Dead!"

"Now you stand no chance! I attack with Black Magician! You lose 600 Life Points!"

"Darn it… I don't stand a chance now… I'd better hope to draw a good card… no! Could this be it?"

"Rue, just what the hell do you think you're doing?" Brandi inquired, taking off her Envoyant Machine.

"Oh, you're all back!" he greeted. "I'm dueling myself."

"Dueling yourself?" asked Hope in disbelief.

"Yep. And can you believe it? I'm losing!" he said, pointing at the cards opposite of him. "I got out a Black Magician and it's proceeding to kick my ass! Am I screwed or what?"

"Ignore him," Claire muttered. "He only does this when he's really bored."

"I heard that!" Rue told her. "And for your information, this is one occasion where I am really bored."

"Then read or something," Hope suggested.

"I would if I had a book," Rue shrugged. "But it's fun to duel myself. I always win, even if I always lose!"

"You're even more or a moron than I thought you were possible of being," Brandi said.

"Thanks… hey, wait!"

But by then, Brandi had left the room to look for Hime.

"Dang it. I'll get her back for that later," Rue muttered.

"If you can," Hope joked.

"Yeah, take her side, why don't you?" Rue grumbled.

Then Brandi came back in, looking worried. "She isn't back yet."

Hope looked at the clock in the room. "Well, it's barely five after. She's probably just a little bit late."

"Possibly. But Hime's usually right on time…" Brandi said worriedly. "I'm going to go search for her. I'll be back in a few minutes." Then she left again. Everyone heard the door shut behind her.

To be continued…


	8. An Attempt to End It

Today is a special day for me and the others that have helped me get this far. 11/14/03 was the day that I wrote and posted the first chapter of Teknisk Wereld v1. What does this mean? It's Teknisk Wereld's first anniversary! Thank you everyone who has been reading this story! It's still going strongly, and I owe a lot to my friends, readers, and reviewers.

As a way to celebrate, I have been writing as much as I could today. I had a ton of homework, but I managed to get a lot done. I wanted to try to get three chapters done as a bonus of sorts, but I am not sure if I can get it all submitted in time, since I am not done. If it doesn't all make it today, the other two will be up by tomorrow.

John: Yes, he was. And do I want to know what a turkey-chicken is?

Captain Obvious: I'm glad you thought it was funny. And that some people were weirdly crazy. And no, they cannot do math.

**Chapter 8: An Attempt to End It**

When Ender had noticed that Brandi and her companions were not in the house, he had waited patiently for his chance. When Mana had come running into the condo, he waited until the ambulance was gone, and Hime was distracted. Then he had fled, taking his Duel Disk and deck, and was now searching for Thanatos.

_It's all my fault. If I had not killed Olympion, then Max would not have turned into Thanatos. I can't believe how chaotic this has gotten. I simply wanted revenge for what I thought was truth. And now I know that it was a lie. And now Thanatos is trying to kill them all. And it's all my fault._

_I have to stop him… even if I die trying, I still have to. I gave this monster life, and because of that, I have to take his life with my own hands._

Ender had not known where to look, but had decided to try the forest first. After all, that was where they had first found him. Ender was pretty good at eavesdropping, so he had managed to hear all of the details about Thanatos the group had given. So he knew what he should be looking for. It wasn't like he had any better leads anyway.

Ender stopped in front of the forest, hesitating.

_I've come this far… I have to keep going,_ he decided. So with that, he stepped into the trees.

It was much darker in the forest, since the trees blocked out the stars and moon. He made his way through it slowly, hardly daring to breathe. Every shadow was deadly, for Thanatos might be hiding in it. Or the wind could be his enemy, because it might actually be Thanatos lunging at him. Or he could be waiting patiently until Ender finally gave up, tried to leave, only to die…

_No. Thanatos doesn't kill anyone outright,_ Ender reminded himself. Ender was not frightened easily, and he was not now-he was just being cautious. _I will have an opportunity to defeat him. _

His thoughts were interrupted when he suddenly heard a noise. It sounded like someone landing behind him. He slowly turned, looking at the horror that had taken the shape of his half-brother.

"So you came," Thanatos smirked. "I knew you would seek me out."

Ender did not respond. _So this is Thanatos... the one I must destroy._

"I must thank you. You were the one who released me, after all."

"I did not mean to, as you are aware," Ender said quietly.

"Yes, I am. It does not change the fact that you did though. So I shall take full advantage of it." Thanatos activated his Duel Disk. "But I can see this conversation will get us nowhere."

"I came to end your reign of terror. Not to talk," Ender stated. "I do not want to waste any more time. Let's begin."

Ender: 8000

Thanatos: 8000

"I will be going first," Thanatos stated.

_I should have expected him to,_ Ender realized. _He knows what my deck is like. If I had gotten first turn, I might have been able to kill him before he could have even entered his first main phase._ He looked at his hand. _Not this time though; even if I had gone first, I wouldn't have been able to._

"I set one monster in defense mode, and end my turn."

_Is he waiting to see what I will do? Or trying to tempt me into attacking? _

"I will start by playing Tutor of the Abyss. I pay 1000 Life Points, and select a Main-Type and Sub-Type. You will be forced to put a card with that Main-Type and Sub-Type into the Cemetery from your hand or deck."

"Well, I pretty much have only one Sub-Type," Thanatos stated. "But I have enough variety to discard cards that I do not need. What types can you choose that you are sure will set me back?"

"Your deck may have a majority of Demons, but it has at least one other that is not," Ender replied. "So I call Earth and Warrior."

"Ah, I see… you are attempting to force me to discard all of my Warrior of Zeras so you will not have to face Devil Mazera. You know more about my deck then you should."

"I'm good at eavesdropping."

"That explains. Very well then." Thanatos took a Warrior of Zera out of his deck and slid it into the Cemetery.

Ender: 7000

Thanatos: 8000

"Then I lay two cards down, and a monster in defense mode. That's it."

"I will first activate Tempest, to destroy your two magic or trap cards."

Ender sighed. "I don't mind losing Candle of Fate, but I did need Last Battle!..."

"A pity, isn't it? I will lay one card down, and summon Infernal Queen Demon. (900/1500)"

"She doesn't seem very strong," Ender pointed out.

"Her effect makes up for that. On each of my standby phases, I can raise one monster with the word Demon in its name by 1000 attack until my end phase. She can't do that this turn, but considering how low most of your monster's defenses are, it should not be a problem. She attacks your defense monster."

Ender smiled slightly. "My Mask of Darkness. (900/400) Its reverse effect now activates. I can get back a trap from my Cemetery and put it into my hand. Guess which one I'm choosing."

"Last Battle!, obviously." Thanatos did not appear to be worried, but he was considering what precautions he would have to take. "I'm done."

"I lay two more cards down, and another monster in defense mode. That's all."

"I lose 500 Life Points because of my Queen's effect."

The Queen went over to him, striking him with her claws. He was not even fazed though.

Ender: 7000

Thanatos: 7500

"Then I lay one monster in defense mode, and end my turn."

"I pass," Ender said, eyeing his card.

Thanatos smirked when he saw what he had drawn. "I must pay for my Queen again."

Ender: 7000

Thanatos: 7000

"On my standby phase, I will have my Queen raise her own attack power. (1900/1500) Then I will sacrifice my face down Death Rook Demon (1100/1800) for Swift Lightning Demon King-Skull Demon. (2500/1200) Then I flip summon Hell Pawn Demon. (1200/200) My Queen attacks your defense monster."

"I activate my trap card, Astral Barrier!" Ender announced. "This is a permanent trap. It lets me choose whether or not you attack the monster you wanted to, or attack me directly. I am going to have you attack me directly."

Even when the Queen slashed him, Ender did not falter. He was young, but also did not know what fear meant at this time.

Ender: 5100

Thanatos: 7000

"Then I will attack it with Hell Pawn Demon…"

"Once again, I choose to have you attack directly."

Again, Ender was slashed. And again, he managed to bear it.

Ender: 3900

Thanatos: 7000

"Then… I attack with Skull Demon…"

"I'll take this one too," Ender decided.

The lightning sent at him was much worse than the swords. But still, they were holograms. With that fact in mind, Ender took the damage without a sound.

Ender: 1400

Thanatos: 7000

_He must have a plan,_ Thanatos realized. _Or else he would not risk letting his Life Points drop so low. We'll see…_

"It is your move." (900/1500)

Ender seemed relieved by the card he drew. "I play Jar of Greed, to draw two more cards. Excellent… just what I needed. Now I activate Ark of Miracles! First, I must my face down Marshmallon (300/500) and the Death Gremlin in my hand. (1600/1800) Each one is level four, making the total eight. That allows me to special summon Ruler of Heaven Shinato! (3300/3000)"

"So that's what you were trying to do," Thanatos concluded.

"Yes. You know now what I'm attempting. Shinato is stronger than any monster in your deck. If I can activate Last Battle!, I win instantly. If not, I can still destroy your monsters. Since Hell Pawn Demon's effect will not let me attack your other Demons, I'll take him out first! Then I am done."

Ender: 1400

Thanatos: 5800

"I lose 500 Life Points to my Queen and 500 more to my Skull Demon."

The two slashed at Thanatos, who still did not seem to mind.

Ender: 1400

Thanatos: 4800

Thanatos thought for a moment before drawing. And he looked up from his card.

"You almost had me. But not quite."

"What do you mean?" Ender asked. This new confidence Thanatos had was making him feel uneasy, but he did not let that show.

"I could not have done enough damage in one blow to avoid activating Last Battle!... until now." He smirked. But this time, his eyes were beginning to whisper of Ender's death.

"I summon Genocide King Demon. (2000/1500)"

Ender's guilt increased as he saw a copy of the one he had slain emerge before him. Yet he showed no emotion.

"And then I will activate Diskabaado Attack. I have to sacrifice a monster with Demon in its name to activate it, so I will choose my Skull Demon. Now, during this turn, my Genocide Demon King will be allowed to attack you directly," Thanatos stated.

Ender couldn't speak as he saw the Skull Demon fade away with a last roar. _It's over… I've lost…_

"Genocide Demon King attacks directly, destroying you!"

Ender brought his arms up instinctively, but the sword still went through them, and his chest, and his heart…

Ender: 0

Thanatos: 4800

Then the monsters vanished, leaving the true one, Thanatos, to view Ender with those horrible eyes.

"A valiant effort, but all for nothing," he stated, stepping forward slowly. "Now, you are aware of the conditions of losing, correct?"

"Yes. I will die now," Ender said calmly. "I deserve no less, after I was responsible for you."

Thanatos smiled, a smile that would cause the bravest man's blood to run cold. "You do not deserve less, but you do deserve more. If you want to make up for your sin that badly, then perhaps this will help."

By now, he was right in front of Ender, who was simply watching. _What is this feeling? Disappointment? Or maybe fear?_

-----

The minutes seemed to be hours in the eyes of the rest of the group. Even though Brandi had not been gone for very long, it seemed that way to them. And all they could do was wait.

Unable to stand the tension, Rue and Claire had a few duels. The reason they had time for so many was that Claire was beating him rather quickly.

"Man, I'm doing even worse than usual," Rue complained. "It must be because I'm distracted."

"That's what they all say," Claire teased, shuffling her deck again.

But before they could begin another one, they heard the door open and close. In a few seconds, Hime stepped into the living room.

"Hime!" Larka exclaimed.

"I'm sorry that I'm late," Hime apologized. "I didn't realize what time it was until it was almost twelve."

"Whoa, wait! It's past twelve?" Rue said in disbelief. "Where has the rest of the night gone?"

"We spent it in the hospital, and searching for Ender," Hope pointed out. "Did you find him Hime?"

"No. And I searched everywhere around here…"

"Brandi went to look for you when you didn't return," Gaston said.

"Then maybe she will run into Ender," Hime sighed.

"But wait! If Ender is out there alone, and Brandi is out there alone… what if one of them runs into Thanatos?!" Hope exclaimed.

"I don't see why Thanatos would be after Ender," Rue responded. "He made it pretty clear that he wants to kill us, but never mentioned Ender. Brandi, on the other hand…"

Mana got up. "I'm going to look for her. I'll come back in thirty minutes, whether I've found Brandi or not. If I don't make it back… well… assume that we've run into difficulties." Then she left.

Hope sat down on the arm of the couch. "I hope they'll be ok…"

"It won't do us any good to worry about it," Rue said. "What happens will happen, and we'll deal with it when it does." Then he put down his deck and drew five more cards. "Again Claire?"

"I guess," she shrugged, drawing six cards of her own.

-----

Brandi looked at the trees that were in the front of the forest, debating with herself about whether to go in or not.

_I doubt Hime would have gone in, or Ender,_ she thought doubtfully.

Then she heard a roar from the forest.

_That sounded like… a Duel Monster card. That's the only thing it could be. Where have I heard that particular noise before? _Then she remembered Will's duel against Thanatos. _Skull Demon! It must be Thanatos! But who would he be dueling? Wait… could he be dueling Ender?! No… Ender wouldn't challenge him, would he? He shouldn't even have his deck with him! _

Even as these thoughts crossed her mind, she was charging into the forest, towards the area that the sound had come from.

She soon caught sight of two figures. Brandi was horrified to see one grab the other at the neck.

Before she could do anything, a sharp snap, one even more deadly than the one from Rue's leg, was sounded. Then Thanatos tossed aside Ender's limp body, which hit the ground.

Brandi's mind seemed to go numb as she saw her step-brother fall. She could only think about one thing.

_"Please, just kill me!"_

_This is not Max. This is the side of Max that he desperately wants us to destroy._

Thanatos was not aware of the girl until she was already on top of him. Using all of her speed, she attacked, her fury being converted into energy. Caught by surprise, Thanatos was not able to defend in time. Another crack sounded, this time from Thanatos' chest. Brandi had broken more than one of Thanatos' ribs.

But he recovered quickly. The broken ribs didn't even slow him down. Even at top speed, he could see her movements and stop them. He grabbed her right arm easily, and twisted it. Yet another snap was sounded, this time due to her broken arm. While distracted by the pain, Thanatos slammed her in the chest, breaking far more ribs than she had accomplished against him. Then, with a vicious kick to her wounded chest, she was sent crashing into a tree. She collapsed, trying not to show her pain, but failing.

Thanatos gazed at her coldly. "I would normally do more than just this, but I know it will all be healed by your Soul Monster anyway. And I am not quite ready to kill you yet. You, in particular, are a fun one to torture. Just my existence causes you to suffer." Then he walked out of the forest as though nothing had happened.

-----

Mana was nearby the forest at around that time. "I wonder where I should start looking?"

Her mind was made up when she heard a sudden cry of pain from the forest.

"Brandi!" she gasped, running into the forest.

She halted at the clearing, seeing Brandi lying at the base of the tree. She instantly put her hands onto Brandi's chest, light pouring from them. Even though she was exhausted, she continued to heal her, repairing the broken arm, ribs, and torn leg muscles. By the time she was done, she was completely worn out, and leaned against the tree.

"…Mana?" Brandi said softly. She tried to sit up, but very carefully-her chest still hurt, even though it was in perfect condition now.

"Are you alright?" Mana asked. "I heard you scream…"

"It was Thanatos," she explained. "He was… Ender! Where is he?"

Even with the way she felt, she forced herself to get up, walking over to Ender. His skin was very pale, and his back looked unnatural. She did not risk trying to examine it though, knowing that she might make it worse. Still, Brandi forced herself to take off his Duel Disk.

"We need to get a doctor here, right away…" Brandi said. "Mana… I know you're tired, but can you go? You'll be quicker than me…"

"Of course," Mana replied, rising. "I'll be back as soon as I can." Then she was off, putting aside her tiredness in her haste to get back to the condo.

-----

"Rue, how can you beat Generals of Hell and Commanders of Heaven, but you cannot win a free duel to save your life?" Hope inquired as Rue lost yet again.

"Aw shut up," Rue muttered, gathering his cards up.

"Actually, Rue wins most of the duels that he needs to win to save his life," Gaston joked.

"You have a point there," Hope admitted.

Their conversation was cut off when the door slammed open. They looked down the hall to see Mana sprinting over to the phone and hastily dialing 911 for the fourth time in the past two days. Mana quickly stated that there was an emergency, and then gave the address before hanging up.

"What happened?" Hope asked.

"It's Ender," Mana said grimly. "Thanatos found him. And… well… he isn't in good shape."

Everyone was silent until Larka spoke up. "What about Brandi?"

"She'll be fine. I healed her," Mana responded. "That's the only good news though."

In a few moments, they heard the ambulance. Hime stayed behind, and Claire volunteered to so that Rue would not grow bored again. He insisted that she went though, saying she would be completely out of her mind in worry if she didn't. So after Gaston, Perseus, and Daine had retreated into their Soul Cards, they went outside, meeting the two familiar men.

"I hope you folks have some darn good health insurance," the first one said as they got out. "So who is hurt this time?"

"He's in the forest," Mana told them hastily. "I can lead the way. It isn't too far in."

"Alright. Show us where he is."

-----

Those minutes were some of the most anxious and tense ones Brandi had ever been forced to experience. She could only sit beside Ender, waiting for Mana to return with help.

_I hate not being able to do anything,_ Brandi thought. _I wish I could help Ender somehow… but all I've managed to do is injure Thanatos a little. He didn't even act as though he was hurt. _

_Even if Max is inside of him, we can't let Thanatos go on… we can't…_

At last, she heard them coming. The two men instantly looked over Ender. The rest of the group viewed him from a distance, in a combination of worry and horror.

"Not good at all," the second one flinched. "Let's hurry."

Even though Brandi was still in much pain, she did not show it as she got up and walked back to the ambulance with them.

The trip back to the vehicle and to the hospital was a completely silent one. Even the other two men seemed graver as they drove them there.

When they arrived, they were told to stay in the waiting room until further notice. Since visiting hours in the hospital were over, they could not go to see Will or Miles, so they remained where they had been asked to stay. And again, they were painfully aware of how slowly the minutes ticked by as they watched the clock. Besides Malon's occasional whimpers, it was completely quiet.

Then, at long last, a nurse came into the room. They stood up instantly, looking at her.

She sighed. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news… but here is what we have been able to determine. The only good thing I have to say is that he will probably live. But the location his spine was broken in… it is highly likely that he will be crippled for the rest of his life."

Once more, silence greeted the statement.

"I'm sorry… that's how it looks now," the nurse said sadly.

"Is it definite that he will be crippled?" Hope asked softly.

"I am afraid so," the nurse stated. "We will call you if any new details come up, ok?"

Brandi slowly nodded.

"We'll do the best we can," the nurse nodded. "But I'm afraid there isn't much we can do. We will try our best though." She then left the room, going back the way she had come.

-----

Neo could not fall asleep. He was exhausted, but he did not want to drift off. What if Will became delirious again? He had to be awake to help him.

He suddenly realized that Will seemed to be saying something. He went over to him quietly, trying to catch the whispered words.

"Draken… who is she? Is she alright now?" Then he was silent once more.

Neo shook his head. _What does all of this mean? I wish I knew…_

-----

While walking home, the Soul Monsters emerged. Hope said that they would explain what happened when they got back to Hime, Rue, and Ruecian. That was the only words that were exchanged the whole time.

They entered the condo, and went into the living room. Rue was asleep, while Ruecian and Hime were sitting on the edge of the bed. When they came in, Ruecian reached over to Rue and shook his shoulder.

"I swear I didn't steal your doughnut…" Rue mumbled, still out of it.

Seeing that he wouldn't rise any time soon, Ruecian smacked him over the head.

"Ouch!" Rue sat up instantly, wincing. "Did you have to wake me up so roughly?"

Ruecian nodded.

"You do know that being hit won't help me recover any more quickly, right?" Rue complained. Then he saw the others. "Hey guys. So what happened?"

Hope finally answered. "Ender will live. But he will probably be crippled for the rest of his life."

"What?!" Rue exclaimed. Then he looked away. "Damn… I thought Miles was bad off. But at least he has a chance to recover, right? What about Ender?"

"The way the nurse put it, there isn't a chance at all," Claire sighed.

"Poor kid…" Rue muttered. "He may have caused this mess, but that is just too much."

Hime closed her eyes, but said nothing.

"What now?" Gaston inquired. "Thanatos is still out there, and he's still planning on killing the rest of us. As much as I grieve for what has happened to Ender, we have to start worrying about the present. What should we do?"

Brandi had been watching them dry-eyed, saying nothing. But she finally spoke up.

"We will follow him."

"What? What do you mean?" Claire asked.

Brandi quickly explained what was on her mind. It was like she couldn't stop, for the fear of not continuing. "Up until now, we have been breaking away whenever one of us is injured. But this allows Thanatos to recover too. That wound Will gave him has had time to be treated, for example."

"But it was not," Fell stated.

Everyone turned to him in surprise. Hearing Fell say something without being prompted was very uncommon, after all.

"…On the rooftop, there was blood," Fell explained. "It could only have come from his wound."

"He didn't tend to the wound? But why?" Hope wondered.

"I also broke a few of his ribs," Brandi told them. "But he did not seem to notice. Maybe he cannot feel pain."

"Very possible," Daine agreed.

"But he is still having time to plan his next attack," Brandi stated. "And that is why we shouldn't give him that chance. We must go after him, and continue to attack him until he finally falls."

Hope shook her head. "But… what about Max?"

"I don't know. But what I do know is that Thanatos must be stopped, at all costs," Brandi replied. "There are only a few of us left. This is the last thing we can try. Are you all with me?"

"Of course," Larka said instantly.

"Yes," Hope responded. She still felt kind of uneasy, but she was not about to let down her friends.

"If I can help, I will," Claire assured.

Fell nodded, which was again a surprise; they hadn't been expecting a reaction.

_What has happened to Fell? _Hope wondered. _He has been acting differently lately, and I must say that the change is for the better. But why? _

She concentrated on him, and saw his aura. But it was not the same one she had viewed earlier. Before, he had been completely cold, uncaring to anything. But there had been a small section of light that refused to go out. That light had spoken of loyalty to his sister, the last person he felt he could trust.

This new aura was more difficult to read, but Hope got it in a few seconds. His emotions were confused. He was used to ignoring everyone and everything except for his sister, but now he felt as though he had to start paying attention to others, and possibly even try to help them. He felt as though he should trust this group he had been accepted into, but could not be sure if it would be safe to. He acted as he always had due to habit, but he was not sure if that was the correct thing to do anymore.

Pondering this, Hope let the aura fade from her sight, turning back to Brandi. "So when will we start?"

"Tomorrow afternoon. I have to get Rue to the rehab center, and… tell mom what happened to Ender."

They could see how painful this would be on both Brandi and Abby, but did not say so. They knew Brandi wanted to deal with this herself.

"Until then, we should get some sleep," Hope suggested. "We've been busy all day, and it certainly has been a long one."

"True that," Rue replied. "Good night guys."

As Fell left to go to the rooftop, Larka went after him. At the door, he turned to her.

"Is there something wrong?"

"Not at all," she said. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm really happy that you're beginning to open up to the others."

"…What do you mean?"

"You're trying to help us all against Thanatos. Before, you would not have even attempted to try. But you're starting to show that you care. I'm just glad that you are attempting to assist them."

"…Is that it?"

"Almost." She suddenly embraced him. His first reaction was to stiffen, and he felt an urge to escape her grasp. Instead, he forced himself to relax. And then, rather awkwardly, he wrapped his arms slowly around her.

After a few seconds of this that seemed to last forever, Larka released him, which prompted him to do the same. He tried to avoid doing it quickly, as though he had been anxious to get out of that position.

"I think that's the first time you've ever hugged me back," Larka said, smiling. "You don't know how much it means to me…" She paused. "Well, I guess we'd better get to sleep. Good night." She reluctantly went back to the living room.

Fell watched her until she was out of his sight, and then went through the door, Daine following. When they were on top of the roof, Daine turned to him.

"Master, what brought that about? It is very unlike you. I know you love your sister, but you have never shown her that you do."

Fell gazed at the night sky.

"…I promised that I would try to pay attention to my feelings, and express them. And I am attempting to. That is all."

Daine looked up as well. "I see. I know what your emotions are, as does Larka, and possibly Malon. But nobody else does. It is good that you are trying to show them now."

"…Perhaps."

They exchanged no more words that night; there was no need to. They knew each other well enough that they did not need to talk to show their current feelings.

-----

Three people had been listening, not speaking until they were certain all of them were asleep.

"So, they will pursue Thanatos," one said. "They are quite brave, aren't they?"

"They are, as you will soon see," the second stated.

"Thanatos will slaughter them," the third hissed. "That is not something I am quite content with…"

"It is very possible that they will manage to escape with their lives," the second replied. "Do not underestimate them."

"Either way, Thanatos is being exactly what we need him to be," the first said. "He makes a very good diversion indeed. If he can kill some of them, then that will be even better."

The second one shook his head, laughing quietly.

"What is so funny?" the first inquired.

"Oh, just something that could be considered an inside joke. Nothing more. So will we leave this to Thanatos?"

"Yes. It might even be what he wanted all along."

"I would not doubt it," the third stated. "Still…"

"Enough of that. This job belongs to Thanatos. We have our own roles to play, as you both know."

"Of course, sir."

"Right," the third said, with some regret.

The first got up. "Now, back to work. I will call you both when we are to do this again."

"Yes, sir."

"Very well…"

To be continued…


	9. The Final Chase Begins

Well, here's the second chapter that should have been up yesterday. The third one should be up soon, or so I hope.

Dragran: I'm glad you liked that, thanks.

John: Thanks. It is indeed happy for me.

**Chapter 9: The Final Chase Begins**

It was a rather rude awakening that they had that morning. Inspired by how well he had made them arise the previous day, Malon decided to wake them up using the same method. He had let them sleep a little bit later, since they were all very tired from the previous day, but finally he could not stand being still any longer. His yapping caused everyone to bolt upright instantly. Malon even jumped onto the bed Rue was occupying, landing on his broken leg by accident. Rue's yell of pain and rage made Malon run to Larka instantly, where he cowered in her arms.

Brandi walked into the room a few minutes later, hitting Rue over the head.

"OUCH! I've already been hurt today, dang it! What was that for?"

"You woke me up. That's what." Then she went into the kitchen, greeting Hime on the way.

A few minutes later, Chasity came out of her room as well. Malon instantly ran over and began to lick her.

"Hey, stop! Get down!" Chasity scolded. Although she was trying to be stern, she couldn't help but laugh. Then she looked around. "Where is Ender? I thought he'd be out here by now."

"He's sick," Hime said simply. "He had to go to the hospital to be looked over. Hopefully, he will be back soon."

"That's too bad," Chasity replied, petting Malon over the head.

Malon left her in a few minutes when Brandi called over to them to come and eat. It was around that time that Fell and Daine entered as well. Soon everyone was eating what was most certainly their favorite food by now-bagels.

"If I wasn't so hungry, I would have skipped breakfast," Rue grumbled, staring at his bagel.

Fell and Larka were the fortunate ones, and were spared from having to eat the bagels; instead, they got to have bacon again, something that neither of them were sick of yet. The others got a few pieces as well, which helped them make it through breakfast.

After that, they went back to the living room to go over their plans one more time.

"We need to bring Rue to the rehab center first," Brandi stated. "Then we'll go to the hospital. You guys can visit Will and Miles while I tell mom about… what happened last night… I doubt we will be able to see Ender yet…" She broke off for a few seconds before continuing. "Then we'll come back here for any last minute preparations, and then we will go to try to find Thanatos."

"Sounds like a plan," Gaston replied.

In a few minutes, they left, Rue riding Perseus again. About half way to the hospital, Brandi halted.

"This is the rehab center," she said, beckoning at it. "I'll be back shortly. Rue, are you ready?"

"Of course."

Brandi, Claire, Rue, and Ruecian went inside, Rue using the crutches to the best of his ability. Claire was going to stay with Rue until visiting hours were over. She had decided not to come to face Thanatos, since she was concerned about Rue. She was also secretly afraid of facing him again, but she did not say this out loud.

By the time visiting hours would be over, Perseus would come and bring her back to the condo. He would be staying there, since the staff would probably not have been thrilled to have him there. So Perseus left, going back to the condo.

After a few minutes, Brandi came back out.

"That didn't take as long as I thought it would," Hope commented.

"I would have been back quicker, but Rue happened to fall over. It wasn't very pretty," she said, grinning.

"Ouch. Poor guy," Hope murmured as they went on.

Soon, they had arrived at the hospital and went in.

"I'm going to my mom's room," Brandi told them.

"Alright. We'll meet you in the waiting room," Hope said.

Brandi went off in a different direction, while the others headed to Will's room.

Neo looked over at them as they entered. He seemed exhausted, but sat up when he saw who they were. "Hi."

"Hi. How is he?" Gaston inquired.

"No better, no worse. He did say something else last night though."

"What?" Hope asked.

"It was something about Draken. He was asking Draken who someone was."

"We don't even know what Draken has been doing," Larka pointed out. "So what Will said might make sense, or it might not. We have no way of knowing."

"True," Hope nodded. "Neo, we're going to go after Thanatos, and not stop until he's defeated. So I don't know when we'll be able to visit again."

"You're going after him?" Neo thought over that for a second. "Well, I can't do much besides wish you good luck. Come back safely."

"I hope that will be possible," Gaston replied.

Then they went to Miles' room. Gen seemed just as tired, but still got up to greet them. "Hey."

"Has he woken up yet?" Larka asked.

"No. It's just a matter of time…"

"Then we can only hope for the best," Daine stated.

"Gen, we're not sure when we'll be back," Hope told him. "We are going to go after Thanatos and continue chasing him until he is destroyed."

"That seems pretty risky," Gen said.

"We're getting desperate," Hope responded.

"You have a point. Then I shall pray for your safe return."

"Thanks. See you later," Gaston said as they left.

They went back to the waiting room, and sat down. Brandi wasn't back yet.

-----

When they arrived outside of Abby's door, Mana looked back down the hall. "I think I'm going to go back for a bit." She wanted to give Brandi and Abby some time alone.

"Alright. Thanks," Brandi replied as Mana walked away.

Brandi opened the door, and halfway shut it behind her, not paying much attention to it. "Hi mom."

Abby looked over at her and smiled. "Hi. How are you?"

"Um… I'm doing alright," Brandi lied.

"What about Chasity and Ender?" she questioned.

"Well… Chasity's fine…" Brandi hesitated.

"What is it? Is something wrong with Ender?" Abby persisted.

Brandi sighed. "He… he got beaten up by someone. Very badly. So badly that he will probably be crippled for life."

Abby went pale when hearing this. "What?! But how?! What happened? Where is he?" She suddenly broke off, coughing harshly.

Lilian, hearing the commotion down the hall, ran in. Mana had come to, but stayed right outside. "Brandi, please stand back. I was afraid something like this would happen…"

"What is it?" Brandi asked, worried.

"Well, she's been in bad shape. I was concerned that it could get worse any second. Maybe you could come back later?"

"Sure," Brandi said half-heartedly, and left. Mana followed her silently down the hall.

Soon they arrived back in the waiting room, where everyone else was.

"Are you ready to go?" Larka inquired.

"…Yeah," Brandi nodded.

The trip back was brief, and soon they were walking into the condo.

"Welcome back," Hime said. "How long will you be staying?"

"Not too long," Hope replied. "We just need to decide where we are going to go."

"We last saw Thanatos in the forest," Gaston stated. "So maybe we can look there?"

"It's as good a place as any," Mana shrugged.

"Then let's go," Hope said. "I think we're as ready as we can get, right?"

Brandi looked over at Hime. "You can all go ahead. I'll be right there."

They went, leaving Brandi and Hime alone.

"Hime, what is it? You seem kind of distracted."

Hime sighed sadly. "It's Ender. I promised Abby that I would look after Chasity and Ender. And look what happened to him… it's my fault. I should have looked after him better."

"It isn't your fault," Brandi told her firmly. "Ender's smart. He would have managed to get past you eventually. He was determined to face Thanatos… probably because he released Thanatos in the first place. I can't think of any other reason he would. So don't blame yourself."

Hime considered, and then gave a small smile. "Thanks Brandi. I'll try not to."

"Remember, you have Chasity to still look after," Brandi pointed out.

"Right. Good luck, to you and the others. Oh, by the way…" She paused.

"Yes?"

"I'm sure you'll do the right thing against Thanatos. Just follow your judgment." Then she went back to the living room, where Chasity was watching television.

Brandi, pondering over what Hime had said, went outside to join the others. Then they went towards the forest.

-----

Once again, the three figures had been waiting for the conversation to end before speaking.

"So it has begun," the second stated.

"Let us see how they fare. I am curious about just how strong they are," the first stated.

"I will wait for now… but not for much longer…" the third snarled.

"You will wait as long as necessary," the first told the third. "You know this, correct?"

"Yes…"

"Good. Then there will be no problems."

-----

They wandered through the forest, encountering no one. It was very quiet though; even the birds did not seem to be talkative today.

"I'm getting a bad feeling about this…" Gaston commented.

"I know what you mean," Larka replied. "It's too silent."

At last, they heard something. They soon discovered that it was a river, and stopped next to it.

But then Malon growled, and Daine let out a fierce bark. They looked up at once, towards the trees.

They braced themselves as Thanatos emerged. His bloodshot eyes traveled over them, while they watched him warily.

Everyone except Hope, that is. She looked away, not wanting to meet his eyes.

"So, you decided to finally come after me," Thanatos stated.

"That's right," Gaston replied, tightening his grip on his sword handle.

Thanatos looked over at Brandi. "It seems you have recovered. Just as I expected."

Brandi stared back grimly. "You've gone too far. That's why I finally decided to fight you."

"A good decision," Thanatos stated. "You won't be able to survive if you do not. But I am not interested in fighting you yet. My next victim… shall be Hope."

"What?!" Hope said in alarm, looking up. She realized her mistake right before she met his eyes. She collapsed to her knees, clutching onto her head again.

"Hope! What's wrong?" Larka asked, going over to her.

"How can you expect her to duel you when she can't even make eye contact with you?!" Gaston protested.

"Heh… that is her concern, is it not?"

Hope slowly brought her hands down, but as she did, she saw a dark glow coming from underneath her shirt. She brought out the orb, and saw that it was glowing black.

Holding on to it, she looked cautiously over at Thanatos, seeing into his eyes. But to her surprise, she did not feel any pain. His eyes were certainly fearsome, but they did not hurt her.

She slowly let go of the orb. His eyes remained the same.

Hope thought she saw something cross over them though; an emotion she did not catch. "So, that is what the orb is. Either way, it will not help. Are you ready?"

"No, but let us begin anyway," Hope stated, turning on her Duel Disk.

Hope: 8000

Thanatos: 8000

"We don't know what changes Hope made to her deck," Larka noticed. "Now we finally get the chance to see."

"I will start," Thanatos stated. "I will summon Infernal Queen Demon (900/1500), and lay two cards face down. That's it."

"Alright… first I play Jar of Greed, to draw two cards. Then I activate Calling Reinforcements so I can put one level four or lower Warrior Sub-Type into my hand from my deck." She selected one, and shuffled her deck. "Then I summon Mystic Swordsman Lv 2! (900/0)"

"Mystic Swordsman Lv 2? I've never even heard of that card," Larka commented.

"I equip him with Thunder Sword, raising his attack by 800. (1700/0) He attacks your Queen."

Hope: 8000

Thanatos: 7200

"I lay two cards down and go to the end phase of my turn. That means I can activate my Swordsman's other ability, since he killed a monster. I sacrifice him so I can search through my deck and special summon Mystic Swordsman Lv 4. (1900/1600) Then it is your turn."

_Ah… now I recognize what these Swordsmen cards are. There is also one that is called Mystic Swordsman Lv 6. She must be trying to summon it. I will just have to stop her from doing that._

Thanatos looked at his newest card. "Well, isn't this just a lucky coincidence?"

"What do you mean?"

"First, I will activate Kozakii's Research. That allows me to look at the top three cards on my deck and rearrange them." He did so. "Then I play Demon's Declaration. This is a permanent magic card. Once per turn, I can pay 500 Life Points to call the name of a card. Then I draw a card from the top of my deck. If it is the same card, then it will be added to my hand. If not, then it is sent to the Cemetery."

"But you'll get it right for sure, since you used Kozakii's Research," Hope realized.

"Exactly. So I call Lair of Ten-Thousand Demon Lords.

Hope: 8000

Thanatos: 6700

"Then I play it."

Hope apprehensively watched the field emerge.

"We can handle it, right Hope?" Gaston said confidently.

"Yeah, of course," she nodded, trying to make herself feel more confident.

"Then I activate my other trap card, Demon's Cry. By paying 500 Life Points, I may special summon a monster with the word 'Demon' in its name from my Cemetery. So my Infernal Queen Demon comes back."

Hope: 8000

Thanatos: 6200

"Be careful!" Gaston warned. "Remember what he did to Will with Demon's Cry!"

"You are right to act cautious. However, there are more uses for Demon's Cry than you might think. I will summon Genocide King Demon. (2000/1500)"

"Oh… so that's why he used Demon's Cry," Brandi murmured.

"I don't understand," Larka said.

"Genocide King Demon can only be summoned if there is another monster with the word 'Demon' in its name on the field. So he revived his Rook for that purpose," Brandi explained.

"Close, Brandi. But I have another reason," Thanatos smirked. "I activate Degradation on your Mystic Swordsman Lv 4."

"This isn't good," Hope muttered as her Swordsman left her field to go to Thanatos'.

"Then, all three attack you."

"I'm not letting you get away with that!" Hope declared. "I activate Cry of the Living Dead, bringing back my Mystic Swordsman Lv 2. Then, in response to that special summon, I activate Tidal Wave. This destroys all of the monsters on the field."

"Not bad," Daine commented. "She has the advantage, since Thanatos has no cards in his hand."

"Hm… I end my turn…"

"Wait a minute. Don't you have to search your deck for two monsters, since two of your Demons were destroyed?" Larka inquired.

"What do you mean?" Hope asked.

"His Lair lets him get more Demon monsters when his Demons are destroyed by a method other than battle, right?"

"I have the choice to," Thanatos corrected. "I just decided not to."

Hope tensed at that. If he was that confident, then that must mean that he was confident by what his next two cards were.

"Hope, we have to hit him hard now," Gaston stated.

"I won't argue there. I summon Troop Commander! (1200/400) His effect lets me special summon a monster that is level four or lower, so I'll bring out Familiar Knight! (1200/1400) Both of my monsters attack directly! Then I end my turn."

Hope: 8000

Thanatos: 3800

"I will start by paying 500 Life Points to activate Demon's Declaration, calling Shadow Knight Demon."

Hope: 8000

Thanatos: 3300

"Then I summon him. (2000/1600) Since Troop Commander's effect forces me to attack him before I can assault other Warriors, I will have my Knight destroy him. You only lose 400 Life Points though, since Shadow Knight's ability halves the damage he does to you."

Hope: 7600

Thanatos: 3300

"After laying one card down, I end my turn."

Hope looked over at the Shadow Knight, considering her options. "I'll switch Familiar Knight to defense mode, and end my turn."

"I summon Infernal Queen Demon. (900/1500) Then I attack with Shadow Knight to destroy your Familiar Knight. Then Infernal Queen attacks directly."

The Familiar Knight was sliced in half easily. Then the Queen rushed at Hope, claws bared. But before she reached her, a large group of goblins appeared in front of her, all armed with clubs. The Queen stopped abruptly in front of them, leaping back over to Thanatos.

"You triggered my Familiar Knight's ability when you destroyed him from battle," Hope told Thanatos. "He allows both of us to special summon a level four monster from our hand. So I brought out my Goblin Strike Team. (2300/0) Still want to attack?"

"…I end my turn."

"Alright… I activate Cyclone on your face down card!" Hope said.

"I will chain it. It is another Kozakii's Research."

"Not good," Gaston muttered.

"In that case… I summon Command Knight! (1200/1900) Her effect raises all of my Warrior Sub-Types attacks by 400. (2700/0) (1600/1900) Goblin Strike Team destroys Shadow Knight, and Command Knight goes after the Queen! That is all."

Hope: 7600

Thanatos: 1900

Even with his Life Points falling rapidly, Thanatos seemed unworried. "I activate Demon's Declaration, calling Demon Soldier."

Hope: 7600

Thanatos: 1400

"Then I summon him. (1900/1500) After that, I lay one card down. Hm… I cannot attack Command Knight if there is another monster on your field, correct?"

"That's right."

"In that case, Demon Soldier attacks Goblin Strike Team. Then I end my turn."

Hope looked at her next card. "I switch Command Knight to defense mode, and end my turn."

"I will summon another Genocide King Demon. (2000/1500) He attacks Command Knight, and Demon Soldier attacks you directly."

Hope: 5700

Thanatos: 1400

Hope recovered from the blow she had received quickly, and drew her next card. "I play Hammer Shoot! This magic card destroys the monster on the field with the highest attack strength, so Genocide King Demon is gone. Then I summon Getsufuuma. (1700/1200) I lay one other card face down, and end my turn."

"I activate Cry of the Living Dead on Genocide King Demon. Demon Soldier attacks Getsufuuma."

The Getsufuuma was slashed by the Demon Soldier. She stabbed the Demon Soldier in response, and both faded away.

"What happened?" Larka asked.

"Getsufuuma destroys any Demon or Undead Sub-Types she battles," Hope explained.

"Which is why I attacked her with Demon Soldier. Now Genocide Demon King attacks directly."

"I activate Magic Cylinder! This negates your attack and deals equal damage to your Life Points!"

"Then my Genocide King Demon's effect comes into play. When he is targeted by one of your cards, I roll a die. If it lands on a two or five, the card is negated and destroyed."

The die fell on the field, clattering around until it stopped on…

"Dang it!" Gaston snarled as he saw the two.

"Your Magic Cylinder is negated and destroyed. You are still hit by my King's attack. I end my turn after that."

Hope: 3700

Thanatos: 1400

Hope looked at her next card and sighed. "I lay one card down and end my turn."

"I summon another Demon Soldier. (1900/1500) Genocide King Demon attacks."

"I activate Holy Life Barrier!" Hope countered. "I discard my Mystic Swordsman Lv 6 so that all of your attacks do 0 damage."

"Then I end my turn."

Hope tensely drew, looking at her card. Then she shook her head. "That's it for me…"

"What do you mean?" Gaston asked, looking at her.

"Look," she said, showing him her card. "I've lost. If I had a monster, maybe I could survive, but I don't…"

Gaston looked over at the monsters on the field. "But you do have one."

"What?"

"You have me!" he told her, stepping onto the field. (1400/1200)

"Oh yeah! I completely forgot about that rule," Hope replied. "But it gives us a chance!"

"Just hurry up," Thanatos growled.

"I equip Gaston with The Fused Weapon, Murasame Blade! This raises his attack by 800! (2200/1200) Gaston will attack the Genocide King Demon!"

With his new sword in hand, Gaston had no trouble slicing apart the King.

Hope: 3700

Thanatos: 1200

"A pathetic attempt to stay alive," Thanatos sneered. "I sacrifice Demon Soldier for Swift Lightning Demon King-Skull Demon. (2500/1200) He attacks your Elven Swordsman."

"This is going to hurt…" Gaston muttered as the lightning went soaring towards him. Then it hit, sending him flying off the field.

"Gaston! Are you alright?!" Hope exclaimed, kneeling down beside him.

"Ow… I'll let you know in a moment…" Gaston replied, trying to stand but failing. "Forget about me… get back to the duel."

"Duel? What duel?" Thanatos inquired.

Hope looked up, to see that the field was empty. Looking at her Duel Disk, she saw her Life Points were 0.

"What happened?!" Hope asked.

"It was your Deck Master," Thanatos smirked. "Since he was destroyed, you lost immediately."

"I knew there had to be a catch somewhere…" Brandi muttered.

Hope: Deck Master Destroyed

Thanatos: 1200

"Now, to deal with you…" Thanatos said, coming towards her.

Gaston managed to rise, hand going to his sword. "Hope, get behind me!"

"But you're injured!" she protested.

"You think that's going to stop me?"

But Hope was remembering what had happened to Neo. Even in full health, Thanatos had easily disposed of him. If Gaston got into a fight with him while he was injured…

Hope leapt up, charging towards Thanatos without a second thought.

"Hope! What are you doing?!" Gaston shouted.

"So, you want to save your friend? Fine with me-my current prey, after all, is you," Thanatos stated, grabbing Hope by the arm. Then, before the others could react, he leapt into the river, pulling Hope into it with him.

"Hope!" Gaston ran to the side of the river. He was about to jump in after them, but Larka grabbed him.

"Don't!" she exclaimed. "You're hurt, remember? You couldn't swim anyway, with all of that armor on!"

"But I can't just stand here!" he responded.

Mana went over to them. "She's right. Just stay here. I'll take care of it!" Then she flew over the top of the river, looking for Hope and Thanatos.

Malon, seeing her go, howled and leapt into the water. Daine followed him.

"Malon! What are you doing?" Larka called.

"We will be fine!" Daine assured. "Remember, we are good swimmers!"

"Alright then…" Larka said nervously. "But be careful!"

It was cold and dark underneath the water. Hope couldn't move, her arms being pinned down by Thanatos.

_I'm going to die… I'm going to die… oh God, this is the end… someone, help, please!_

Mana abruptly halted. "There!" Then she waved her staff, sending out a ball of black magic into the water.

Suddenly, Hope felt herself being released as Thanatos was sent flying back by something. But she felt so weak… she knew she had to swim, she knew she could swim, but she had no strength left to do it…

Then she felt something grabbing her neck collar and pulling her up. At last, they were out of the river. Hope coughed, trying to breath as quickly as possible, aware she could be pulled under any second…

But then she realized that whoever had pulled her up still had a grip on her. She looked over, and saw it was Daine, his teeth holding onto her shirt.

Seeing this, she grabbed onto his fur, and he released his grasp on her. "Hang on Hope. I am going to try to get to shore before Thanatos can attack again."

She couldn't respond. She was still trying to breathe.

Before Daine could move though, Mana yelled, "Watch out!" Then Hope felt Thanatos grab onto her leg. But before he could pull her under again, he released her abruptly. She looked down, and saw that Malon had sunk his teeth into Thanatos' right arm, where he had already been wounded by Will's kunai, and was pulling him away from Hope and Daine to the best of his ability.

Thanatos was in no mood to deal with the puppy. He grabbed Malon around the throat, choking him. But Malon refused to release his grip on Thanatos.

However, Malon had managed to get Thanatos far enough away from Hope and Daine so that Mana could help again. She sent another ball of black magic at him, sending him back once more. He let go of Malon, and the puppy swam frantically towards the surface.

By this time, Daine had managed to get back to the side of the river, Hope holding onto him. As Daine got into the shallow area, Gaston took Hope from him, letting the dog get onto land easier.

When he was hit from the second attack from Mana, Thanatos realized that these were affecting his body, even if he could not feel the pain. He needed time to regroup. So he went to the surface, leaping onto the shore and running off into the trees.

Malon emerged from the water, trying to stay up, but with barely enough strength to.

Mana descended, grabbing him before floating to the shore. She handed the exhausted puppy to Larka, who took him instantly.

"Malon! Are you ok?"

Malon whimpered, licking her hand.

Hope knelt on the river bank, coughing and trying desperately to breathe. The others waited for her to recover.

Finally, she stopped, breathing slowly. "I don't know… how to thank you all…"

"As if we were going to let him kill you," Mana replied.

Daine looked over in the direction Thanatos had run. "He got away. We should pursue him as soon as Hope is ready to continue."

Larka seemed worried. "Hope, are you sure you want to go on? You could go back if you want to…"

"No," Hope said firmly, forcing herself to get up. "I can keep going. We agreed to do that, remember? We aren't going to stop until Thanatos is defeated."

"You're right," Larka nodded. "I was just concerned."

"I'll be ok," Hope replied. In truth, she did feel fine, except for being cold. But she would dry off pretty quickly, she knew.

"Are you sure?" Gaston asked anxiously.

"Yeah. What about you?"

"I've recovered, so I shouldn't slow us down too much. Larka, how is Malon?"

"He'll be fine. I'll carry him until he's recovered."

Daine stepped forward. "Then follow me. I will lead you to him."

To be continued…


	10. Battles of Power and Speed

Here's the third chapter. Kind of short, but the future ones will make up for that.

**Chapter 10: Battles of Power and Speed**

They followed Daine as he led them through the trees. Every now and then, they saw blood. When Malon had bitten Thanatos, his wound had been made even worse. It at least proved they were going the right way.

Hope didn't speak of it, but she was still feeling very shaky from what had happened. There were few occasions where she had felt as terrified as then. She knew it would be a long time, if she ever did, before she forgot the cold water that had been stealing her life away, slowly but surely.

Eventually, they entered a clearing, and saw Thanatos standing in it. His right arm was in a bad shape, but he ignored it as he faced them.

"You are getting very persistent," Thanatos stated.

"We don't intend to give you the chance to recover," Mana said grimly.

"Fine then. I'll just have to slay all of you. Since my assault on Hope failed, I suppose I'll move on to someone else. Larka, I will challenge you now."

"I was sure I would have to face you soon," Larka sighed. "Malon? Are you ready?"

Malon barked, and leapt out of her arms.

"Then I'm ready," Larka stated, turning on her Duel Disk.

Fell watched silently. He was not comfortable with the idea of his sister dueling Thanatos, but he knew she had to.

Larka: 8000

Thanatos: 8000

"You went first last time; it's only fair I do so now," Larka stated. "I lay one monster in defense mode and one other card. That's it."

"I summon Demon Soldier. (1900/1500) He attacks your defense monster."

"It's my Twilight Zone Female Warrior. (1500/1600) She has the ability to remove the monsters she battles from the game, along with herself. So I'll have her remove your Demon Soldier, and she is removed as well."

"Not a big loss. I lay one card face down and end my turn."

"I summon Volt Girl. (1900/800) Then I equip her with Shine Castle. This raises her attack by 700. (2600/800) She attacks you directly! Then I am done."

Larka: 8000

Thanatos: 5400

"I will first play Jar of Greed." Thanatos smirked at his draw. "Perfect. I play Lair of Ten-Thousand Demon Lords."

Malon whimpered and pressed himself against Larka's right leg as the field emerged.

"Then I summon Warrior of Zera. (1600/1600) And I sacrifice him for Devil Mazera. (2800/2300) He forces you to discard three cards from your hand. Since you have two, you lose your entire hand."

"I activate Tidal Wave, causing all of the monsters on the field to be destroyed!"

"You are still required to discard the two cards you have."

"I lose my Blade Knight and Dunamis Valkyria then…"

"I play Rebirth of the Dead. By discarding a card from my hand-in this case, my Magic Guarder-I am allowed to put a monster back in my hand. I choose Devil Mazera. Then I activate Cry of the Living Dead, to revive Warrior of Zera. Then I sacrifice him to special summon Devil Mazera again."

"Wait! Why would you go through all of that when you could have just revived Mazera?"

"He can only be special summoned when I sacrifice Warrior of Zera for him. I will have him attack you directly."

Larka: 5200

Thanatos: 5400

"Both are without hands," Mana noticed. "Still, even though Mazera is Thanatos' only card, he's got the advantage."

"Don't count Larka out yet," Hope replied.

Larka sighed in relief when she saw her card. "I play Sealing Swords of Light. This makes it so that you cannot attack for three turns."

"A small set back. I lay one monster in defense mode and end my turn."

"It's the second turn for Swords. I summon Ninja Master-Sasuke! (1800/1000) He attacks your defense monster!"

"My Death Rook Demon has enough defense to survive. (1100/1800) Is that it?"

"Yes."

"I lay another monster in defense mode. That's all."

"Third turn for Swords," she reminded him as she drew. "I lay a monster of my own in defense mode. Then I attack your Rook with Sasuke."

"What is the point in that?"

"Sasuke's effect allows him to destroy monsters in face up defense mode. So your Rook is automatically destroyed. That's it."

"I lay one card down, and end."

"My Swords are gone," Larka stated, discarding the magic card. "I activate Shine Spark. This field magic card will get rid of your Lair. It raises all of my Light Main-Types attacks by 500, and lowers their defense by 400." (2300/600)

Hope looked around at the bright field. "It may be hard to see, but I like this a lot more than the Lair."

"Sasuke attacks your defense monster."

"My Inferno Queen Demon is destroyed."

"That will be all for me."

"I lay one monster in defense mode, and attack Sasuke with Mazera. That is it."

Larka: 4700

Thanatos: 5400

"I pass," Larka stated, looking at her new card.

"I lay another monster in defense mode, and have Mazera attack your defense monster."

"It was another Dunamis Valkyria. (2300/650)"

"I end my turn."

"Hm… Malon, I need you to use your effect."

Malon let out a mournful howl. As he did so, a Wandering Hero, Freed appeared. (2200/800)

"Now I will remove my two Dunamis Valkyrias to destroy Mazera by Freed's effect. Then Freed attacks your first defense monster."

"My Shadow Knight Demon is destroyed. (2000/1600)"

"I'm done."

Thanatos seemed pleased with what he got next. "I sacrifice my face down Hell Pawn Demon (1200/200) for Swift Lightning Demon King-Skull Demon. (2500/1200) He attacks Freed. That is it."

Larka: 4400

Thanatos: 5400

"This doesn't look good…" Larka muttered as she drew. "Oh, maybe this will work. I activate Theft, on your Skull Demon!"

"His effect is activated," Thanatos stated. "A die is rolled. If it is a one, three, or six, then your targeting card is negated and destroyed."

The die landed on…

"A three," Larka sighed. "Luck isn't with me today. I lay one monster in defense mode and end my turn."

"I must pay 500 Life Points to keep Skull Demon on the field."

Everyone winced as the Demon slashed Thanatos with its wicked claws.

Larka: 4400

Thanatos: 4900

"I summon another Shadow Knight Demon. (2000/1600) Shadow Demon attacks."

"It's my Blade Knight…" (2100/600)

"Then Skull Demon attacks you directly. It is your move."

Larka: 1900

Thanatos: 4900

Larka looked at her next card. "Thank goodness. I lay one monster in defense mode."

"When you do, I activate my trap card, Seal of Blood, on Shadow Knight. Now, when I am forced to pay for him, you are as well."

"…I end…" Larka looked at her Life Point count worriedly.

The Skull Demon and Shadow Knight slashed Thanatos before the Shadow Knight turned on Larka.

Larka: 1000

Thanatos: 3500

"Then I attack your defense monster with Shadow Knight."

"It's my Marshmallon. (800/100) Because you attacked him in face down defense mode, you lose 1000 Life Points. And he cannot be destroyed in battle."

Larka: 1000

Thanatos: 2500

"It doesn't matter. I lay one card down and end my turn."

"No… I have to pass…" Larka said nervously.

The Demons once more took the blood they desired.

Larka: 100

Thanatos: 1100

"At this rate, it will end in a tie," Hope realized.

"Not quite," Thanatos smirked. "I lay one card face down, and end my turn."

"Well… a tie is better than losing," Larka stated. "So I will end my turn."

Thantos smiled coldly. "On my draw phase, I activate my trap, Alter of Sacrifice. I sacrifice one of my monsters, and gain that many Life Points. So I sacrifice Skull Demon."

Larka: 100

Thanatos: 3600

"Then I'm finished…"

"Yes. Shadow Knight deals us both 900 damage."

Larka braced herself, but the sword still came down. It was the same as before, but this time it seemed more painful to Larka, since it spoke of her death.

Larka: 0

Thanatos: 2700

Malon howled once more as Larka watched her Duel Disk deactivate.

"That's it then…" she murmured, looking up. And then she caught sight of Thanatos' eyes, and froze. This was how Claire had felt, she realized. These eyes were death themselves, they had to be. He was coming, he would kill her, she couldn't stop it, nothing could stop it, it was her destiny to die…

Thantos suddenly charged. His speed was incredible-Hope could hardly see him.

Then a black blur sped by, crashing into Thanatos. The two fighters, still in the air, fought each other so swiftly and savagely that it was impossible to keep up.

Larka stepped back, pale as she watched. Malon whined frantically.

Then one was sent crashing into the ground. They were only able to watch in disbelief as Fell tried to rise, only to fall back with a snarl of pain.

Thantos landed nearby. His chest had several deep claw slashes, and his arms were bleeding as well.

_Damn it… I didn't expect him to interfere, _Thanatos thought. _Usually, he would stay out of the way to avoid risking himself… why the hell did he attack me now? I didn't think he'd do that, even for his sister… _And without another word, Thanatos ran out of the clearing.

Larka ran over to her brother, kneeling down beside him. He had several chest wounds as well, both deep cuts and possibly broken ribs. His right arm had a deep gash in it, and his left was in an odd position. His right leg also seemed wounded, and he had several cuts on his body, all bleeding fiercely. He was unconscious at the moment, so at first Larka thought he might be dead. But he was breathing, to her relief.

Larka, seeing the state he was in, could not help herself. She broke down, crying heavily. Malon was still whimpering, and Daine sat down beside his master, letting out a howl of his own, one that told everyone of his grief.

To be continued…


	11. Final Confrontation

Happy Thanksgiving guys. A bit late, but I thought it should be said anyway.

John: Yeah, I've been wanting to have that rule occur. And you'll see what happens in this chapter.

Demon Fan: Happy Thanksgiving to you too. Thanks, it was a nice anniversary, and I'm glad you liked the chapters. It's hard to tell sarcasm over the internet, so… yeah.

**Chapter 11: Final Confrontation**

Hope, Brandi, and their Soul Monsters watched silently as Larka tried to get her emotions under control. But she was finding it difficult to stop her tears from flowing.

Hope walked over to her, kneeling next to her. "Larka…"

"It's my fault," she sobbed. "If I hadn't lost, this wouldn't have happened…"

"Stop talking like that," Brandi said. "You did the best you could. If it's anyone's fault, it's Thanatos'."

"Fell will be fine," Hope stated. "After all, you were the one who told me he was strong, right? You need to be strong too, for his sake."

Hope's words reminded her instantly of what Will had said to her.

_"Don't cry… Fell's tough, isn't he? He'll be ok… stay strong for him, Larka…"_

Larka wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Yeah… you're right. Thanks."

Hope nodded, rising. "What should we do now? I know we said we'd keep going after Thanatos, no matter what, but Fell… he'll die if he is left like this."

"True…" Brandi looked at the direction Thanatos had fled. "This is what we should do. You guys should get Fell to the hospital. Make sure Lilian is the only one to look after him, or else we'll have a lot of explaining to do about him and Larka. While you are doing that, I will go after Thanatos."

"Alone?" Hope said in astonishment.

"Wrong. I'm coming too," Mana stated.

"No, Mana. You need to go with them. This is something I must do by myself."

"But Brandi…!" Mana protested.

"I don't want any arguments!" she snapped. "I'm going after him alone, and you are all going to go back to save Fell. Got it?"

Mana normally would have not let the matter drop this easily, but she could tell Brandi was not in a good mood. When she got into this kind of personality, it was no use to try and argue with her. So Mana reluctantly nodded.

"Good. Go now. I'll be back as soon as Thanatos is dead." Then she ran off, following the blood that trailed out of the clearing.

Malon and Daine watched as Larka gently lifted her brother. Then she looked over at Hope, Gaston, and Mana. "Coming?"

To her surprise, Hope shook her head. "I'm following Brandi. She might need help. But I'm more worried about Max. I can't just let him die that easily." She turned to Gaston. "I need you to go with Larka as well."

"But why?" Gaston inquired anxiously.

"Because we will do this alone. It's something we have to do by ourselves. Please, try to understand."

Gaston looked into her determined eyes, and reluctantly nodded. "Alright. I don't like it, but I'll respect your wishes. At least you'll be ok with Brandi."

"Right," Hope nodded. "Good luck to you guys." Then she went after Brandi.

Mana sat down on a tree branch, and Gaston leaned against another one's trunk. Daine gazed at them. "You will wait for them to return, I expect."

"Of course. What kind of a guardian would I be if I didn't?" Gaston replied. "I feel as though I'm failing my duty right now, not following her. But she wants it this way, so I will wait."

"Same here," Mana added.

"Very well then. I hope you return safely," Daine stated.

"As do I," Larka said to the two Soul Monster before she ran off in the opposite direction, Malon and Daine following.

-----

Thanatos kept running, not looking back or slowing down. He went through the forest quickly, just trying to get away as his arms and chest bled fiercely. Although his arm wounds were not that bad, his chest ones were very deep and severe. He could not feel the pain, but he knew the blood loss was affecting him.

_I've changed positions,_ Thanatos realized. _From the predator, I've become the prey._

He then emerged from the trees, coming out into a familiar spot.

Max had only been here a few times, but Thanatos recognized it from his memories. It was a graveyard, with several tombstones in rows and columns.

Thanatos walked over to one nearby, and upon seeing the name of it, felt a sudden jolt as he lost control. Now it was Max that stared at the tombstone.

He lightly touched the tombstone as he read the name on it.

_Randall Driger_

Max smiled sadly at the sight of it. _It looks like I'll be seeing you soon, dad…_

_Have you lost all hope?_ Thanatos said to him mentally, with a sneering tone. _Have you finally given in, and now know that death is inevitable? _

_You're happy about that? Remember, if I die, you're dead too, _Max replied in a mocking tone.

Thanatos did not respond. Feeling a bit satisfied at that, Max went back to looking at the tombstone.

_At least you'll be waiting for me, I guess,_ Max thought as he left, blood still falling from his wounds.

-----

Brandi followed the thick, easily visible trail of blood that Thanatos had left. As she ran after it, she tried not to think about what she would have to do soon.

She suddenly heard a noise behind her. She turned, and saw Hope emerge from behind a tree, following the blood as well.

Hope halted, seeing Brandi. "There you are."

"Why are you here?" Brandi growled. "I told you to go back."

Hope shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I can't."

"Why not? Do you think I'm not capable of doing this myself?"

"No, that's not true at all! I'm just worried about Max."

Brandi glared at her. "And you think I'm not? I'm his sister, damn it!"

"And I'm his friend," Hope replied, forcing herself to take a calm tone. "Is it wrong that I worry about him?"

"Go back! Leave me alone!" Brandi snarled.

Hope looked into her eyes steadily. "No. I can't do that."

Overtaken by fury, Brandi slapped Hope across the face. She stepped back, holding her hand up to her burning skin, but managed to look back at Brandi.

"I just want to do this alone! Why won't you accept that?!" Brandi shouted.

Hope took away her hand from her face, which was slightly red where it had been struck. "I can accept that you want that, but I can't let it happen. I'm sorry, but I must see him. Nothing you say or do will stop me from coming, so why don't you accept that instead?"

Brandi resisted the urge to hit her again, looking down at the thick blood on the grass. She was running out of time.

"Fine," Brandi snapped. "I'm tired of wasting time."

Brandi resumed her trek, Hope following her. Brandi was still annoyed by the way Hope was acting, but she was also somewhat surprised. It wasn't like Hope to deny a request from a friend so strongly.

-----

Larka ran on through the forest, finally emerging outside of it. The trip had not taken her much time, as the need for haste had made her go as fast as she possibly could.

Daine was still outside of his Soul Card, and easily kept up. Malon had been forced to return to his though, since he was a bit slower, and was still weakened by what Thanatos had done to him. So even though he disliked it, he had gone along with it.

She knew the way to the hospital by now, and it would be quicker if she ran then to call an ambulance and wait for it to arrive. She also needed to make sure that nobody but Lilian saw her brother. So she continued running, and after a few minutes, had arrived.

They went inside instantly. There were several people in the waiting room, and they all became silent at the sight of the two blood soaked people, one unconscious and the other looking frantic.

Ignoring the looks she was getting, she went to the woman at the desk. "I need to speak with Lilian, immediately!"

The woman, seeing Fell's condition, did not argue. She grabbed a phone on the desk, dialed something and spoke into it quickly before putting it back down. "She will be here in just a minute."

A few moments later, Lilian came running over.

"Follow me," she said. "We can go over details later."

Larka went after her, until they reached an empty room. Larka laid her brother on the bed there, and then stood up. "Should I leave?"

"It would be better if you did," Lilian replied. "You might want to go to the condo to wash the blood away. By the time you get back, I can tell you how he'll do."

Larka looked at her stained hands. "Oh… right. I must have not noticed. I'll be back shortly."

Daine sat down across the room. "I would like to remain here. Is that ok with you?"

"Sure," Lilian responded. "See you soon Larka."

Larka left the hospital, once more not paying attention to the stares she received when others saw her bloody clothes. When she got outside, she ran for the condo.

_I've done all I can… Fell, please be alright…_

-----

The trail of blood eventually led out of the trees, into a cemetery. Brandi halted at one tombstone that had blood on it.

Hope stopped as well, reading the name on the tombstone.

"Randall Driger. That was… your father, right?" Hope said, a bit nervously.

Brandi nodded, not taking her eyes off the tombstone. Then she reached out to it, wanting to clean off the blood that Max had left on it.

But as she touched it, she froze. After a few minutes, Hope became concerned.

"Brandi? What's wrong?"

Brandi suddenly broke away from it, turning her pale face to Hope. "I think it was… a vision. I can only remember two things about it though. One was that it would happen if Max died." She drew in a shuddering breath. "And the second was that it was terrible."

"Then we had better move on," Hope declared. "Before Max does die."

"…Right…" Brandi murmured, wiping away the rest of the blood before standing up.

-----

Abby lay in her bed, worrying about Max, Brandi, and Ender. She could not stop thinking about what was happening to her children, and being very concerned about it.

Then she saw something. She had no way of knowing that she saw the vision at the same moment Brandi touched the tombstone, but she did see a vision. But it was not the same as Brandi saw. Now she saw what would happen if she died, and the pain it would bring.

When it was over, she could not remember what had happened in it. But she knew that it was horrifying.

-----

Brandi continued to follow the blood, and Hope went after her. It was becoming even more thick now, which made the two of them even more worried.

But at last, they came out into a clearing. Max was there, sitting on the ground while leaning against a tree.

Brandi stepped out of the trees, while Hope hung back. Max did not notice her, but looked up at Brandi.

"It's too late," he said softly. "I've had too much damage done to my body. I'm going to die, sis. And I can accept that. So please, kill me."

"But Max…" she started, but trailed off when looking into his eyes.

"Please… end it now…"

Brandi looked down, not saying anything. _What do I do?_

Hope watched the exchange, and then stepped out of the trees as well.

"Brandi! How can you even consider it?" she shouted. "If there's any chance that Max can be saved… any… we have to take it! Can't you see that?!"

Max looked at her in surprise. "Hope? What are you doing here?"

"You can't give up that easily Max!" she pleaded. "You can live, and you can overcome Thanatos! I know you can!"

He closed his eyes, that sad smile still on his face. "You're still too damn optimistic… why can't you just accept the inevitable?"

Then he froze, and opened his eyes.

Even before Brandi saw the blood shot eyes, she knew Thanatos was coming back. Before he could even move, she stepped in front of him. "Thanatos! Quit being a spineless bastard. I'm going to take you down, right now! You'll either die to my hand, or by running away like the coward you are! Which do you choose?"

"Brandi! What are you doing?!" Hope exclaimed.

"Max is right," Brandi said, trembling slightly. "You can keep telling yourself whatever you want, but I'm going to be realistic. My brother is suffering, and if he can't be saved, I might as well end it swiftly, to put an end to this torture! Stay out of my way… this is between me and him!"

Hope stared at her, eyes shining with tears that she did not shed, and she turned away from her, unable to put her emotions into words.

Thanatos smirked. "One last chance to kill you, Brandi. I'll take it. If I can drag you down with me, I will. There is one condition though. We will duel without any safety measure. Take the shields off that protect you from the holograms. I will do the same. Then the loser will die from it."

Brandi instantly switched on her Duel Disk and turned off the shield. _I must hurry… I have to beat him quickly… I can't allow myself the time to think about what I'm doing…_ "I accept your conditions. Stand up and face me, Thanatos!"

Thanatos activated his Duel Disk while he was still sitting. "I cannot. This body is too damaged to let me. I shall have to duel you from this position, as much as it disgusts me."

"Fine. Let's just get this over with!" Brandi snarled.

Brandi: 8000

Thanatos: 8000

"Since you have challenged me, I will go first," Thanatos stated. "I play Terra Forming, getting Lair of Ten Thousand Demon Lords from my deck. Then I play it."

Brandi gazed at the red skies around her and the blood red platform for what would be, most likely, the last time.

"Then I summon Shadow Knight Demon. (2000/1600) I lay another card face down, and end my turn."

Brandi looked at her hand, focusing on the duel entirely. She couldn't afford to think of anything else. "Alright… I will start by playing Dark Zone! This field magic card will destroy yours when I play it."

"I will not give it the chance to, since I can activate Curse of Magic-Sealing. By discarding Rebirth of the Dead, your magic card is negated and destroyed. You also cannot play any others with the same name for the rest of the duel."

"Damn it… I place one monster in defense mode, and one card face down. That's all."

Thanatos smirked when he saw his next card. "Excellent. I lay one card face down, and summon Demon Soldier. (1900/1500) Shadow Knight attacks your defense monster."

"My Mimic of Darkness Lv 1 is destroyed. (100/1000) His reverse effect lets me draw one card from my deck."

"It will not do you much good at the moment. My Demon Soldier attacks directly!"

Brandi braced herself for the pain she knew would come. Even though she was ready for it though, she could not suppress a cry of pain as the sword slashed her, leaving a bloody mark on her chest.

Brandi: 6100

Thanatos: 8000

"Still want to continue?" Thanatos sneered.

Brandi ignored the wound she had. "Of course."

"Then take your turn."

"Are you alright?!" Hope exclaimed. Although she did not want Brandi to kill Max, she was still worried about her.

"I'll live," Brandi growled, drawing. "This is the best I can do though… I summon Drillago! (1600/1200) Then I equip him with Necklace of Gifts and Plunder."

The heavily armed machine looked very odd indeed with the necklace that appeared around its neck.

"And what does that do?" Thanatos asked.

"You'll find out soon enough. Now I'll use Drillago's effect. As long as all of the monsters on your field have an attack that is greater than 1600, Drillago can attack directly!"

The Drillago burrowed under the ground. A few seconds later, it came out in front of Thanatos, drilling into him.

Brandi: 6100

Thanatos: 6400

Thanatos spat some blood out weakly, not moving from his sitting position. "So how does it feel, Brandi? How do you like seeing yourself kill your own brother?"

"I would hate myself for killing Max," Brandi whispered. "But you aren't Max. You are Thanatos, and I will be happy to be the one to slay you! Make your move."

"Very well," Thanatos said. "I will play Demon's Declaration. I trust you remember what this does?"

"You pay 500 Life Points, and call a card's name. Then you draw. If you call correctly, it goes to your hand. If you call wrong, it goes to the Cemetery."

"Correct. I then activate Result of Kozakii's Research. That allows me to look at my top three cards and put them in any order I want to."

"That's the same combo he used on me!" Hope realized.

"Now I will pay 500 Life Points to call Warrior of Zera."

Brandi: 6100

Thanatos: 5900

"And I will summon him. (1600/1600) I will lay one card down, and then have Shadow Knight attack your Drillago. However, due to his effect, you only lose half of the Life Points you normally would."

Brandi: 5900

Thanatos: 5900

Brandi felt a bit of pain course through her when Drillago was destroyed, but it was tolerable. She reached up, and the necklace that had been around Drillago's neck flew into her hand. "When you destroyed Drillago, my Necklace of Gifts and Plunder activated. It allows me to draw one card from my deck or to force you to discard a card in your hand. Since you have no cards in your hand, I'll choose to draw."

"Simply drawing cards are not going to get you anywhere. Demon Soldier and Warrior of Zera attack directly!"

Two more slashes resulted in another scream of pain, and two more bleeding cuts. Brandi fell to her knees, but got up almost instantly.

Brandi: 2400

Thanatos: 5900

"It's your turn now."

Brandi looked at the card her Necklace had given her. _This won't be enough. I need more time… I need something I can stall with…_ She drew, and sighed in relief. _Perfect!_

"I lay two cards face down, and lay one monster in defense mode. That's it."

"I activate Demon's Declaration, paying 500 Life Points to call Devil Mazera."

Brandi: 2400

Thanatos: 5400

"I sacrifice Warrior of Zera to special summon him. (2800/2300) His effect forces you to discard three cards from your hand."

"I only have two," Brandi stated. "My Vampire Lady and Android Psycho Shocker are gone." Even though she had no cards in her hand, she did not seem worried.

"Then my Shadow Knight attacks!"

"I activate Destruction Ring on him!" Brandi countered. "Your Shadow Knight is destroyed, and we both lose 2000 Life Points!"

"Not just yet," Thanatos responded. "You must remember that my Shadow Knight's effect comes into play. I roll a die. If it lands on three, your card is negated and destroyed. But before I do that, I will activate Reverse Dice. If my dice roll fails, I will be allowed to reroll it."

The die came down, landing on a six. But another one came down. This time, it landed on a three.

"Damn… oh well. I can deal with that," Brandi said.

"Now, let us continue. Shadow Knight attacks."

"And in response, I activate my other two trap cards, Astral Barrier and Spirit Barrier!" Brandi declared.

"Astral Barrier lets you direct my monster's attacks to your own Life Points, I know that… but what does Spirit Barrier do?"

"Whenever I have a monster on the field, I take no damage from battle," Brandi explained. "So basically, as long as I have a monster on the field, you can't hurt me! I will just keep directing the attacks to myself, and Spirit Barrier will cause them to do zero damage."

"Wow… what a combo!" Hope said in awe.

"Hm… in that case, I end," Thanatos growled.

Brandi looked at her next card. _I can nearly pull this off… I just need to hope that I get the right card next turn. _"I lay one card face down and end my turn."

"I lay one card face down, and end my turn."

_I have to end this quickly, before my barriers or monster are destroyed…_

"I play Jar of Greed, to draw two more cards."

_Please, let them be the right ones… yes!_

"Now I flip summon my Igzarion Universe! (1800/1900) Then I activate a magic card, Shrink, on him! This cuts his attack power in half. (900/1900)"

"Damn it…" Thanatos snarled.

Brandi laughed. "It looks like you recognize what I'm doing. But then again, if you have Max's memories, of course you would know."

Hope suddenly realized what she was doing. "Oh! That means that your face down card must be…"

"Yes… the Deck Destruction Virus of Death! I sacrifice Igzarion Universe to activate it! All of the monsters on your field with 1500 attack or higher are now destroyed. It would be the same for your hand, but since you don't have anything in it, it isn't of concern. And for the next three turns, you have to discard any monster you get with over 1500 attack."

The Igzarion Universe exploded into several purple spores, which covered the Shadow Knight, Demon Soldier, and Devil Mazera. They faded away as the spores consumed them.

"Then I summon Surprising Matasa! (1300/800) His effect allows him to attack you twice, and he will do so!"

The warrior swiftly sliced Thanatos twice, once on each side of his body.

Brandi: 2400

Thanatos: 2800

"I end my turn at that."

Thanatos glared at the card he had drawn. "I lay one card face down and end my turn…"

"I summon Black Warrior Werewolf! (1600/1200) Your traps won't help you while I have him. Whenever it is my battle phase and he is on my field, your traps can't be activated."

"Then I will just activate them before you enter it," Thanatos stated. "I activate Demon's Cry. By paying 500 Life Points, my Shadow Knight is brought back from my Cemetery in face up attack mode."

Brandi: 2400

Thanatos: 2300

"I will just end my turn then," Brandi said.

"When you do that, my Shadow Knight is destroyed, due to the effects of Demon's Cry." Thanatos looked at his next card, and sighed. "That's it. I am forced to discard Genocide King Demon due to Deck Destruction Virus of Death. So I can do nothing but end my turn."

"Then you've lost," Brandi declared. "Matasa attacks twice!"

Two more slashes were added to the numerous wounds Thanatos had.

Brandi: 2400

Thanatos: 0

-----

Gaston and Mana did not speak to each other as they waited. But even though much time had passed, their companions were still not back.

At last, Gaston stood. "I can't take this anymore. They've been gone for a long time. What if they are in trouble? I'll never forgive myself if Hope is hurt because I wasn't there to protect her…"

Mana leapt off her branch. "You're right. Let's hurry, or else we might be too late!"

They ran amongst the trees once more, following the tell-tale trail of blood.

-----

Larka arrived at the condo, but could not bring herself to enter. She was still worried about Brandi and Hope.

She made her decision, and ran into the forest once more.

-----

Brandi wearily shut off her Duel Disk, wincing as another jolt of pain went through her.

Hope was watching in amazement. She was happy Brandi had managed to win, but what would happen to Thanatos now? Or Max, for that matter?

"You've lost," Brandi stated, looking at Thanatos.

Thanatos, despite his wounds, smirked once more. "I may have lost the duel, but in the end, I have won. Your friends are wounded and dying, while you will die from your injuries eventually as well. You know this, do you not?"

Brandi tried to respond, but suddenly collapsed.

"Brandi!" Hope exclaimed.

"You can't even remain conscious," Thanatos sneered. "Your injuries are too much for you. I still cannot feel pain, although I know this body is nearly finished. But I have enough strength to finish off you…" He turned to Hope, blood shot eyes connecting with hers. Even with the orb's protection, Hope felt as through her heart had stopped.

"You will be the next to die," Thanatos hissed, and with incredible speed, grabbed her by the neck.

-----

Neo watched Will lie motionlessly on the bed. The snake marking had gotten even darker, and his skin had grown hotter. But he was not at the point of death. Not yet.

It was completely silent besides the sound of their breathing, which was why Neo was able to hear the words Will suddenly said.

"Hope! You can't die!"

-----

_Nobody is here to help me this time…_ Hope despaired as she felt the air leave her lunges. _This time, I really will die… if only… please, someone, help… no, it's no good, I'm alone… no! I'm not alone!_

"Max…" she managed to say.

-----

Neo stared at Will in worry. He had never shouted anything out in his sleep, usually talking in soft tones. But now he spoke clearly.

"You must tell him!"

-----

_He's not out of my reach… he can't be! He hears what Thanatos hears… I have to tell him, before I die… _

She managed to summon the strength she needed to whisper the words she had to say. "You once told me… that you protected me… because you thought you loved me. Max… I don't feel the same. Because I don't think that I love you… I know that I love you… with all of my heart…"

Thanatos froze, eyes widening at her words. Then he suddenly released his grip around her neck, causing her to fall to the ground. Hope looked up to see his eyes slowly change from being blood shot to brown once more. Then Max collapsed next to her, unconscious before he hit the ground.

Hope stared at him, as though in a daze. All she could bring herself to do was take his left hand with her own. And then her mind went blank.

But Thanatos had been wrong, for Brandi was still awake. She had heard what Hope had said, and now understood.

_So that's why you wanted to come… I had no idea that you felt that way. Or did I know, but denied it? _And then she closed her eyes, letting darkness take her.

-----

Will had fallen silent for a few minutes, and then he said, "It has come to pass…" After that, he did not say anything else.

Neo shook his head. "I wish I could understand what this all meant…"

-----

Gaston glanced at the tombstone they passed. "Randall Driger? Isn't that Max's and Brandi's father?"

"Chasity's as well," Mana replied as they followed the blood trail. "That is probably why Max went by here. Brandi as well. They loved him a lot, you know. I have only met him once, which was when he was brought back to life. But Brandi talks about him all the time."

Gaston sighed. "Hope talks about her father as well. She loves him too. He is gone often though. Her parents are divorced, but even before that happened, he traveled all the time. Still, she loves him, perhaps even more so than her mother. She hardly ever talks about her mother, you know."

"That doesn't mean she likes her father more," Mana responded.

"I know it doesn't. It's just the way I see it. I do feel sorry for her though, since she doesn't see him or Amy often. How did Brandi describe Randall?"

"A lot of different words," Mana shrugged. "Ask her, I couldn't answer that as well as she can. What about Hope's dad?"

"I asked her once. She said that two words came to mind when she thought of him. One was love. The other was protection. She feels safe whenever she's with him, as though he can guard her against anything." He laughed softly. "That's one reason she said she grew onto me quickly. She said she got the same feeling around me, except it was stronger since she was used to me being around."

"Protection is what Max and Brandi felt too, or so I assume," Mana stated. "It's like… if Randall could somehow come back to them, then all of their problems would be solved. If only it could happen…"

She fell silent, and Gaston decided not to continue the conversation. So they walked in silence, noticing that the blood was getting thicker.

Then they stepped into the clearing, and stared at the scene before them.

Brandi lay unconscious, bleeding from the wounds she had received. Max was even worse off, as blood was everywhere around him. The ground was dyed red from all of it. Hope knelt beside him, her eyes glazed over as she held onto his left hand as though it was a life line.

Mana instantly went over to Brandi, healing her. The wounds vanished, but the pain of them still remained.

Gaston had gone to the other two. "Hope! Are you alright?"

She did not even look over at him, still staring at Max.

He knelt down beside her. "Are you hurt in any way? Please, speak to me!"

Still Hope did not respond.

Gaston gently tried to get her to release her grip on Max's hand, but it was nearly impossible. "Hope, it's ok. We'll make sure Max gets help. You have to let go of him."

She gave no signs of hearing.

"Come on Hope… please, listen to me, talk to me!" He finally pried her hand off of Max's, but she still did nothing.

"Gaston, we can worry about Hope later," Mana said. "But Max could die any second. We have to get all three of them out of here."

"But how?" Gaston replied. "There's only two of us…"

"You mean three."

They looked over to see Larka enter, pale at the sight of the bloody area but with determination to assist.

"Perfect timing," Gaston stated.

"Yeah." She lifted Max carefully. "I can run ahead and get him to the hospital, if you want me too. Hope and Brandi do not have any life threatening wounds, do they?"

"Hope doesn't seem to have any wounds at all," Gaston replied. "And Mana took care of Brandi's injuries. So go ahead. Please hurry."

"Of course," she nodded, and ran off through the trees at top speed. Gaston and Mana followed, each bearing their companion in their arms.

-----

Lilian finally stood, looking over Fell one last time. When she was sure she had not missed any injuries that needed to be taken care of, she turned to Daine. "I've done all I can for him at the moment. It will take him a while to recover, but at least he will live."

"Thank you for all that you have done," Daine said.

"No problem. I'm going to check on Abby. If Larka stops by, she's welcome to come in."

Just as she finished saying that, the door opened, and Larka stepped inside.

Lilian was about to comment on the abrupt entrance, but then she saw Max. "Again, I'll wait to ask questions. Come with me."

There was another room close by, and they were soon inside it. Larka put Max down as Lilian once more gathered her equipment to help Max. "What about Hope and Brandi?"

"Gaston and Mana will be bringing them in soon," Larka replied. "Hope doesn't seem to be hurt, and Mana healed Brandi, so they'll be fine."

"Good to hear that," Lilian responded. "There are two empty rooms next to this one. They can each have one if they want to rest."

"I'll tell them," Larka assured. "Thanks."

She nodded. "I will tell you how Max is doing in a while." She looked over him grimly. "To be honest… his chances of living… well, I can see right now that they aren't very high. He's got several wounds, but the main problem is the blood loss. We'll see how it goes."

"Yeah…" Larka murmured before leaving. She waited in the hallway, until Gaston and Mana walked into it.

"Lilian is looking over Max now," Larka told them. "She said she'd tell us how he is later. If Hope and Brandi need to relax, they can have the two rooms over there." She indicated to the two nearby doors.

"That would be helpful," Gaston replied, looking down at Hope. She still seemed to be in a daze. Then he glanced around at the other doors. "What about Fell?"

"I'm going to check on him now," Larka stated, going over to the door and opening it. "I'll tell the rest of you later. Take care of Hope and Brandi first."

"Right," Gaston nodded, and they went to their rooms.

Larka closed the door softly, and looked over to Daine. "How is he?"

"He will recover, but it will take time," Daine stated.

"At least he will get better," Larka said. She went over to where he lay, and saw what Lilian had done. His left arm was wrapped in bandages while his right had a cast. His chest had several bandages as well, and so were his legs. His right had several more than his left though.

"Broken ribs, a broken right arm, and a sprained right leg," Daine told her. "Along with several cuts. It will probably take another full moon to heal the worst of it. But he will live."

"That's what's important," Larka agreed. Then she went to the door. "I'm going back to the condo to wash off this blood. Then I'll come back, ok?"

"Sure," Daine replied. "By the way, how is Malon?"

"Oh! I need to check on him." Larka wiped off some of the blood on her fingers onto her shirt, and then took out her Soul Card. Malon emerged, and with a joyous howl, leapt at Larka.

"Calm down Malon!" she laughed.

Malon sat down, wagging his tail furiously, before seeing Daine. Then he leapt over to the larger dog, and started running circles around him. Daine calmly held out a huge paw, trapping Malon underneath it. The dog whined protests as he tried to free himself.

"At least he's well again," Larka commented.

"Indeed," Daine said dryly, releasing him.

Larka bent down in front of Malon. "I'm going to the condo, but I'll be back soon. Do you want to come?"

Malon leapt up instantly and yipped.

"I guess that's a yes," Larka stated. "See you soon Daine."

They left the room, and went outside of the hospital and to the condo.

In a few minutes, they had arrived. Before Larka went up to it, she went down to the beach and went into the water, clothes still on. When she came back out of it, the worst of the blood that had covered her skin was gone, so she did not have to worry about getting the condo bloody like she had stained the hospital.

Malon had jumped in as well, and came out too. He shook himself, spraying Larka with water. She glared at the panting puppy, who seemed to be grinning at her.

"You're too cute," she grumbled.

Malon went over to the water and licked some of it, only to yelp and run back to her.

She couldn't help but laugh at his reaction. "That's salt water. It doesn't taste very good."

Malon whined, and started trotting back up towards the condo.

Larka knocked, and Hime came almost instantly. She raised an eyebrow at the soaked girl and Soul Monster. "Wait here." She left, and came back almost instantly with two towels.

"Thanks," Larka replied, rubbing Malon with the towel. Soon he was almost completely dry. Then she got most of the water off of herself. "I'll tell you how it went, but I need to get rid of the rest of this blood first."

"Of course," Hime agreed, letting them into the house now that they were mostly dry. "You can use the white towel that is in there when you are done."

"Thanks again." Larka looked over at Malon. "He needs to be washed as well, since he jumped into the ocean."

Malon whined at that, and his ears dropped as he gave her puppy eyes.

"Aw, how cute… too bad I'm immune to your charm," Larka stated.

Malon gave another whimper as he lowered his head.

"You can use the brown towel on him," Hime stated.

"You sure have a lot of towels," Larka commented.

"Chasity goes swimming nearly every day, and Brandi often goes with her. So we always keep a good supply of towels ready," Hime explained.

"That's reasonable," Larka nodded. "I'll see you soon. Come on Malon… no, you are not getting away this time…" She grabbed him by the collar as he tried to run, and then wrapped her arms around him, trying to hold the squirming puppy to the best of her ability and carrying him off to the shower.

Hime and Chasity were sitting in the living room when they heard a loud echoing howl. They looked towards the restroom, and another howl came out.

"Can you take me swimming?" Chasity asked Hime.

"I think now would be the perfect time for that," Hime agreed. And with that, they left the condo to go to the nearby pool.

Larka finally finished, much to her relief. Her ears were still pounding as she dried off Malon.

"Did you have to do that?" she growled.

Malon whimpered.

"You're lucky you're so adorable," Larka muttered as she put on her clothes. She had brought spares in Hope's suitcase, and they looked identical to what she had worn before, down to the color. She didn't care much about fashion, and she liked the color white, so when Hope had asked what kinds of clothes she had wanted, she had asked for clothes that were the same as the ones she usually wore.

She went back outside, Malon following her. As she went into the living room, she saw that Hime and Chasity were gone, most likely due to Malon. But before she could scold her Soul Monster again, she noticed something else.

Zack was awake, leaning against the wall. He looked over at Larka as he saw her enter.

"Zack! You're awake!" she exclaimed, rushing over to him. "How do you feel?"

"Better than last time," he replied. "I think I am almost completely recovered."

"That's excellent to hear," Larka said, sitting down next to him. Malon leapt into her lap, barking a greeting to Zack while his tail wagged excitedly.

"Yeah… by tomorrow, I should be able to move around," Zack stated. "How long have I been unconscious?"

"For the rest of the day you were attacked, two whole days, and part of today. So about three days?"

"Not bad. The repairs went quicker than I thought they would. So what has happened? Have you defeated Thanatos?"

"Yes," Larka assured him. "But… well… do you know who Thanatos is?"

"Max," he responded. "I saw his face as he went to stab me."

"That's right. Let me tell you everything that has happened…"

Larka gave a lengthy explanation of all of their battles with Thanatos. Zack did not interrupt at any time, simply waiting for her to finish.

"And now we are waiting to see how Max is doing," Larka finished. "Besides him, Will, Miles, Rue, and Fell aren't going to be able to do anything for a while, but Brandi and Hope should be coming back sometime soon."

"What about Draken?" Zack inquired.

"He still hasn't contacted us, besides that email he sent to us before we met Thanatos," Larka sighed. "Hopefully, he's alright."

"I see. So, you will be going back to the hospital now?"

"Yes. What about you?"

"I need some more time to recover," Zack stated. "So I will rest for a while. I should awaken much more quickly this time."

"Alright. I'll see you soon then."

"Right." Then he closed his eyes, unconscious instantly.

Larka got up, Malon leaping out of her lap. "Shall we go?"

Malon yipped before running to the door, Larka going as well.

-----

"So that's how it is…" the first one said.

"What do you suggest, sir?" the second inquired.

"We must start with the conditions we promised we'd carry out if Thanatos failed us," the third hissed.

"That is correct," the first replied. "We will do that immediately."

-----

Brandi opened her eyes slowly, gazing at the ceiling above her without much interest.

Then she suddenly remembered all that had happened and sat up immediately, wincing as she felt pain run through her body.  
Mana was sitting nearby, and went over to her as she saw her wake up. "Brandi! Are you ok?"

"A bit sore, but nothing too serious," Brandi replied. "Did you heal me?"

"That's right. We came after you when you hadn't returned for a while. It was a good thing we did, too…"

Brandi remembered the sight of her brother. "Max! Where is he?! Is he alright?!" She tried to get up, but Mana pushed her back down firmly.

"Lilian is looking over him now. We don't know what his condition is yet. You are not going anywhere yet. You need rest, even if you feel mostly recovered. Got it?"

"Fine," Brandi sighed, lying back down.

Then the door opened, and Matt stepped inside. "Good, you're awake. I was worried about you."

"Matt! What are you doing here?" Brandi said in surprise.

"Mana contacted me again, to tell me that Thanatos was gone. I came over as soon as I could." He looked over his shoulder. "Come on in already."

Gaston came into the room, pulling Hope inside. She was walking now, but her eyes were still glazed over, and she still did not respond to anything.

"I thought Hope needed to do something besides sit around in that room absent mindedly," Matt explained. "Brandi, I want to know what happened. Will you tell me everything that has occurred?"

Mana saw that the two of them wanted to be alone, and grabbed Gaston by the arm, pulling him out of the room.

"Hey! What are you doing?" he protested.

"Can't you see they need to be by themselves, you insensitive moron?"

The door shut behind them, and Brandi was free to begin talking. Matt and Hope sat on the edge of her bed, and she began to tell of what had occurred.

When she finally finished, Matt was staring at the floor, pale. "Brandi… I feel like such a damn jerk. I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you, or Max. I should have been… I know it… work wasn't as damn important as this…"

"It's alright," Brandi told him.

"No, it isn't. I feel like a complete idiot. Next time, I'll be there for you guys. I promise you that."

"Thanks," she said softly.

"I'll never be able to forgive myself if one of you dies when I could have prevented it. Your pain alone makes me feel guilty… so I will be there." He rose from the bed. "I'm going to check on Abby. I'll see you later, ok?"

"Yeah," Brandi nodded.

"Later then." He left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

Brandi was silent for a few minutes, and Hope just stared at the wall dully. Brandi finally could not take the uncomfortable silence any longer.

"Hope… back in the forest, when Thanatos was strangling you. Well… I was still awake. I heard what you said to him."

Hope turned to her. And Brandi saw that her eyes were no longer glazed over.

To be continued…


	12. Seized

Thanatos may be done, but this arc is far from over!

John: Thanks. And yeah, it is getting kind of creepy in some parts.

Demon Fan: There are a few reasons Thanatos did not even bother with Demon Rue. I think you'll realize why some time in the near future.

**Chapter 12: Seized**

"You heard?" Hope whispered.

"Yeah… I had no idea you felt like that."

Hope blushed slightly, looking away. "Well…"

Brandi went on before Hope could put her thoughts in order. "Hope, I apologize for how I acted. I was being a big jerk to you. I just thought about Max, and nothing else." She shook her head. "I was sure the only way to end his pain, and ours, would be to kill Thanatos, and due to that, he would die at the same time. But that wasn't true. He's still alive, at least for now… I wasn't thinking straight. I also didn't know why you wanted to come so badly, so I just thought you were being selfish. That was wrong of me. I was the self-centered one this time. So I'm sorry."

"It's alright… I'm sorry too," Hope replied. "I should have told you the truth. But I was unsure of myself. Ever since Max told me, when he had amnesia, that he thought he loved me… well, I wasn't sure of it at first, but I knew all along that I loved him too. When you were leaving to face him by yourself, I knew that you would do anything to stop Thanatos and end Max's agony, which is why I went after you. I couldn't stand the thought of him dying. I didn't want to be a burden to you though, and I didn't want to make you mad. So I should have explained. I'll accept your apology… will you do the same for mine?"

"Of course," Brandi smiled.

"Thanks," Hope said softly.

"Likewise." Brandi thought for a moment. "I have a question though. Why were you out of it like that? It was like you were in a daze or something."

"I don't know… I think I was in shock," Hope replied. "Nothing made sense to me until you started talking to me…"

"Odd." Brandi slowly got out of bed. "I want to check on Max. Coming?"

"Definitely," Hope nodded, getting up as well.

When they left the room, they found Gaston and Mana standing outside of the door.

"Hope! You've finally come around!" Gaston exclaimed happily.

"Yep. Sorry to worry you."

"I'm just relieved that you're ok!"

"Brandi? Are you sure you're well enough to move around?" Mana asked.

"I'm positive," Brandi sighed. "Really, it's nothing serious. I just needed to rest for a while. I'm ok now. What about Max?"

"We haven't seen him yet," Mana told her. "Lilian isn't done yet. Why don't we visit the others while waiting?"

"Where is Larka?" Hope inquired.

"She went to the condo to wash up," Mana explained. "She should be back any minute."

Suddenly, an excited howl came down the hallway as Malon ran over to Hope and Brandi, jumping at them gleefully.

"Malon! Down! Down I say!" Larka snatched him up. "Sorry about that. So how are you two?"

"We're fine," Hope assured. "What about Fell?"

She looked away. "I've already seen him… here, it'd be easier if you saw."

They went into the room. Malon yelped at Daine from his position in Larka's arms. Daine eyed him calmly before looking at the others.

"I am glad to see that you two are alright."

"Thanks," Hope replied as they went over to see Fell.

He was still unconscious, breathing lightly. Hope gazed at him sadly. "Thanatos caused so many wounds…"

"Will he recover?" Brandi inquired.

"Eventually," Daine answered. "The only question is when that will be. There is not much to see when it comes to him. How about you see Will and Miles?"

"Yeah," Larka nodded. "We should… I'll be back again later, ok Daine?"

"I will look forward to it." He glanced over at Malon. "I would tell you to behave, but I know it is pointless to ask you to do that."

Malon yipped happily before running out the door.

They went to Miles' room next. Gen looked over at them as they entered.

"Hi. How is it going?"

"Thanatos is vanquished," Gaston stated. "Fell was injured, and Max is still hurt as well, but otherwise we are fine."

"That's excellent," Gen sighed. "I've been needing some good news."

"By the way you say that, I'm assuming Miles has not awakened yet?" Brandi inferred.

"You're right. My worries grow deeper with each passing day. But I know he will come to eventually."

"Of course he will," Hope assured him. "It will just take some time."

"We're going to check on Will," Mana stated. "See you in a bit."

"Bye," he responded as they left.

Neo was almost asleep, even though he was sitting in the hard chair the hospitals had in their rooms. He probably would have dropped off if they hadn't entered the room when they did. He sat up swiftly, shaking his head.

"Hey… nice to see you guys."

Mana looked over the weary swordsman. "You should get some sleep. Getting sick by not resting won't help Will at all."

"I'm fine…" he said tiredly. "I need to stay awake. Will has been having nightmares lately… I try to be there to keep him from panicking."

Gaston smiled. "It's great to see that you're so devoted to him. But don't kill yourself over this. He wouldn't be happy if he knew what you were going through."

"Probably not…" Neo agreed. "But it's the least I can do for him. So I will continue to protect him from his fears. Oh, speaking of which, I'm glad to see that you are safe Hope."

"What do you mean?" Hope said in confusion.

"Will was talking in his sleep again. But this time, he shouted it out, frantically. 'Hope! You can't die! You must tell him!' Then, after a pause, he said in a more calm tone, 'It has come to pass.' I don't know what he meant by this though. Do you?"

Hope's eyes widened as she realized what Will had probably been talking about.

Gaston sat down in the other chair, and faced Neo. "Let me tell you everything that has happened. Then you will probably understand."

As Gaston told the tale, Hope lightly touched Will's skin, where it had turned black. She jerked her hand away almost instantly. The heat was unbearable. She remembered how she had felt when she had been branded by those similar markings, and shuddered.

"That explains," Neo said. "So Hope was nearly strangled by Thanatos? Is that right Hope?"

"Yes… Gaston, how did you know?" she asked.

"Your neck was bruised quite a bit when I found you. So I just assumed that was what had happened."

"Oh…" She felt her neck, and noticed that it did seem to still ache a little, but not too much.

"So that means that almost everything Will has said has occurred," Larka realized. "He predicted what would happen with Miles accurately. He knew Hope would nearly drown. He was aware that Fell would be wounded and that I would be heartbroken over it. And he knew that Hope almost died."

"Wait a minute," Neo interrupted. "When did he say anything about you or Fell?"

"I was the only one who heard him say it. 'Don't cry. Fell's tough, isn't he? Stay strong for him, Larka.' I didn't tell anyone else, hoping it would not mean anything. But I was wrong…"

"That leaves only two things," Gaston realized. "For one, we don't know what he meant when he said Draken was talking to someone. And the other is when he said, 'You must tell him.' What do you think he meant by that?"

Hope felt her face redden, and quickly turned to look at Will once more. Brandi was the only one to notice, fortunately.

But as she did so, she heard him whisper something. "No… leave her alone… leave Brandi alone! What did she do to deserve this pain?" With that said, he was silent once more.

"Hope? Is something wrong?" Gaston asked, noticing her silence.

"No, nothing," she responded, standing up. "Should we check on Max now?"

"Yes," Brandi replied. After bidding farewell to Neo, they went to the door to Max's room.

Brandi knocked on it softly. In a few seconds, Lilian opened it.

"You can come in. I'm done."

They did so, looking over at Max. His arms were bandaged, as was his chest. He was very pale, and might have been seen as dead if he hadn't been breathing.

"Here's what's happened to him," Lilian began. "His left arm was damaged, but his right arm was even worse. It's cut up and has been completely punctured, although I don't know how."

"Will's kunai most likely," Gaston stated. "Go on."

"His ribs are cracked, and he had several deep slashes on the front of his chest. There are some more shallow ones as well, but they didn't help matters. His body has also been pushed to the limit, and he has had a lot of emotional stress. The blood loss was terrible; it will take him a long time to be able to regain all of it."

"…Will he live?" Brandi asked quietly.

Lilian looked away. "Well… yes. He will live… but not for very long."

"What do you mean?" Mana said worriedly.

"He's been weakened far too much, for one thing. But there's another problem. His Soul Monster has been killed. We have known of others like that, and they just can't live as long as most people. The fact that Max has been injured so much will only make his life span shorter."

Hope closed her eyes, trying not to show the tears in her eyes. Gaston, noticing this, said, "How long would you say he has to live?"

"We have no way of knowing. He could die any day. I'm sorry… but that's all I know now."

Brandi nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

"When… do you think… he will wake up?" Hope asked. Her voice betrayed her emotions at this news.

"I can't be sure. I will let you all know at once when he does, or when any of them do."

"Thanks," Larka replied softly.

"By the way, Ender still has not regained consciousness. I'll be keeping an eye on him as well, alright? See you later."

As they left, Brandi said, "I'm going to visit mom. Can you guys wait here for a few minutes?"

"Sure," Larka responded. Hope nodded, still trying to get over the news about Max.

Brandi went into Abby's room, shutting the door quietly. "Hi mom."

"Brandi… hi. How are things now?" Abby inquired.

"…I want to tell you what's been happening to us. It will help you understand the situation better."

"Then go ahead."

Brandi told her mother about everything that had happened, except Hope's confession. She had decided to let Hope explain that when the time was right.

"So Max… will die?" Abby asked.

"…Yes. Sometime soon," Brandi replied, not looking at her.

"…Two at once. It's just too much," Abby whispered.

Brandi sighed. "Yes. I don't know how I'm going to be able to continue, knowing that Max… that Max… could… any day…"

"I know," Abby said softly. "But we must. For his sake, we have to go on."

"Yeah…" Brandi got up. "I have to get back to the others."

"Then I will talk with you later."

"Right… bye mom." She left the room, and went to the waiting room, where the rest of them were waiting.

"Shall we go back?" Larka suggested.

"Let's," Mana agreed.

-----

Hime and Chasity arrived back at the condo to find it empty, save for Zack, who was still out of it. Assuming Larka had gone back to the hospital, they thought nothing of it.

Chasity was sitting in the living room, flipping through random channels for something to watch, when she heard the door open. She barely had enough time to see a brown blur before it flew into her, licking her furiously.

"Malon! Get down!" Chasity protested.

Larka ran over and pulled him off of her, glaring into the puppy's innocent eyes. "I doubt I will ever be able to teach him to not do that."

Hope, Brandi, Gaston, and Mana also came in. Hime entered as well.

"So what is the news?" Hime inquired, glancing at Chasity. With an impatient sigh, Chasity turned off the TV and went to her room. She had gotten used to Hime wanting her to not hear any of this information.

Brandi gave her a brief update to all of their friend's conditions while the rest of them waited nearby.

"I see…" Hime stated as Brandi finished. "I guess it could not have been avoided though."

"I'm afraid not," Brandi said sadly.

"So what will you do now?" Hime questioned.

"I guess we will just wait for everyone else to get better," Larka replied.

"No… there's something else," Hope said. "Remember what I said before? That someone must be working with Thanatos? Well, shouldn't we find out who that is?"

"You're right," Brandi nodded. "We may be a bit safer now that Thanatos is gone, but that doesn't mean we are done yet."

"So you will be going to Teknisk Wereld?" Hime assumed.

"Yes. That would be the best place to start," Hope confirmed. "This virus looks a lot like the Black Snake Sickness. If so, its origin is probably in Teknisk Wereld. I don't know how it is possible, but that is where we should begin searching."

"Then I wish you good luck," Hime said before going into the kitchen.

"Should we start now?" Mana asked.

"We might as well," Gaston replied. "It's a pity we're the only ones who are going though. With only six of us, this could take a while."

"Make that seven."

They turned to see Zack looking over at them. Gaston and Mana stared in shock while Malon yipped excitedly.

"Zack! You're finally awake!" Hope exclaimed.

"I'm sorry… I should have told you guys earlier," Larka said. "When I came back, he was up, and said he was almost done with repairs. So Zack, do you feel up to coming?"

"I've nearly recovered completely," he answered. "So it should not be a problem."

"Then let's get going," Hope suggested.

Soon they were all unconscious.

-----

"The forest again? We seem to arrive here often," Gaston commented as they got up.

"We have nowhere better to start," Hope shrugged.

They suddenly heard something come over the trees. The wind blew leaves everywhere, and the great shadow passed over them before it was gone.

"What on earth was that?" Hope wondered.

"It wasn't on earth," Gaston pointed out. "In case you forgot, we're in Teknisk Wereld now."

"Must you be so literal?" she said in exasperation.

"It was probably just a wild monster, or a Soul Monster flying someone over the forest," Brandi stated.

"Want me to check?" Mana inquired. "You never know; it might be the people we are searching for."

"That's doubtful…" Gaston responded.

"But it could be true. Monsters that can fly usually don't go over the forest at this close a range," Brandi said. "Other people's Soul Monsters don't like to come in this close either. So it is kind of strange… alright Mana, go ahead and check it out. We're going to walk on down here. Meet us outside of the forest."

"Sure thing." She rose up to the top of the trees, and the rest of them walked on.

-----

Mana scanned the tree tops, and saw a figure flying away. But it was too far away to see what it was.

She went to the edge of the forest and landed. "I guess it was nothing after all…"

Distracted by her thoughts, she was taken by complete surprise when she felt iron clamp around her wrists, ankles, stomach, and head. Before she could say anything, a black cloaked figure had gagged her, and was bringing out a card. Another cloaked one took out iron bands and handed a few to his partner.

The first one seemed to understand Mana's wordless question. "Sorry that we have to do this, but orders are orders. And you'll be the key we need to complete them." Then he activated his magic card. The iron bands instantly became burning hot.

Mana had only a few seconds to feel terror before the first band burned into her skin.

-----

"We've finally made it," Hope said as they walked out of the forest about an hour later.

"It's about time you did."

Malon yelped joyfully and leapt at the person who had spoken while everyone else stared.

"Hey, I'm happy to see you too," Draken told Malon, stroking him over the head. "What's with the silence guys? Forget who I am?"

"Draken! Darche! What are you doing here?" Gaston said in amazement.

"We came to try and find you," Darche stated. He had been standing next to Draken. "Our Blue Eyes White Dragon finally thought it could detect something here, so we landed outside the forest to wait for you."

"So that's what we heard!" Larka realized. "That big creature must have been the Blue Eyes!"

"We had to pass pretty close over the top of the forest to try to find you," Draken explained. "Sorry if that shocked you. Hey, where is everyone else?"

"It's a long story," Hope sighed. "We can tell you about it later. But we are the only ones fit to come here. So it's just me, Brandi, Larka, our Soul Monsters, Zack, and you two."

"Your Soul Monsters? But what about Mana?" Draken asked.

"Mana? She was supposed to meet us out here…" Brandi trailed off, realizing the problem. "But she isn't here… why?"

"Because we needed her."

They spun around, to where the trees were. Standing there were two men. Both of them wore completely black uniforms, with black cloaks and hoods they wore up.

Beside them was an evil, torturous looking contraption. It had two thick, steel, spiked sections that came out of the ground that had two manacles, big enough to restrain a human's legs. On each side were two big, metal, connected balls that had a spike producing from each. Then above those two, another, bigger ball was there, with two pole like objects producing from it. The poles were spiked on the outside, but on the inside was a manacle that looked big enough to hold a human hand. Between the two big balls, one on the left and one on the right, was a clasp that could fit around someone's waist.

The other object looked like a vice of some kind. It had a metal band that could go over the victim's head, with two yellow poles, one on each side of the band, for fastening into place. On the outside of the sticks was a metal ball that had three more metal balls connected to it through thin silver poles. It had two more steel balls with spikes above the band that seemed to form shoulders for it, of some kind-it was the best description Hope could form. What was the creepiest thing about it though was the face it had. There was a small, purple head with crazy eyes and a wicked grin. Around its head were purple sparks, and two drills came from it, one on each side of its head.

But that was not what worried them. For inside the larger of the two, held fast by the manacles, and with the smaller contraption attached to her head, was a familiar figure.

"Mana!" Brandi exclaimed.

Her Soul Monster was in terrible condition. In several sections of her body, her skin was burned, leaving it red and raw. Her eyes were half closed, trying to ignore the pain but failing horribly. She could not speak, due to being gagged.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing with her?!" Draken snarled as Gaston and Darche drew their swords, and as Zack's switchblade came out of his arm. Malon barked fiercely at them, teeth bared and ready to bite.

"Oh, it's not her we are very interested in," the first man said. They realized he had been the one talking from before. "We actually need the girl that is her companion. That would be you?" he inferred, turning to Brandi.

"What do you want with me?" she growled.

"It's part of a deal our bosses had with Thanatos," the second one explained. "We told him that if he failed with what we had asked of him, we would have no choice but to take what was most precious to him-his sister."

"Thanatos wouldn't care about me," Brandi spat.

"Perhaps not, but orders are orders. So we are to give you a rather… long and painful death," the first snickered.

"And how do you expect to accomplish that?" Hope demanded. "We aren't about to stand by and watch Brandi die!"

"True. That is why we needed her," the first stated, indicating to Mana. "If you do not agree with our demands, she will be killed instantly."

"How do you expect to kill her?" Draken asked.

Zack was looking at the device trapping Mana. He suddenly stepped backwards, his switchblade going back into his arm. "Those aren't machines."

"What do you mean?" Hope said in confusion.

Gaston's eyes widened. "Zack's right! They're Soul Monsters!"

"You've got to be kidding!" Draken exclaimed.

"They are correct," the second stated. "So any second now, we can order our Soul Monsters to kill your friend. The larger one restraining her, my partner's Viser Shock, can easily slay her if he wishes to. And my Iron Demon Viser Death could do the same. It wouldn't be any challenge whatsoever."

"Damn it…" Draken muttered as Gaston and Darche reluctantly sheathed their swords.

"What can we do now?" Larka said.

"The only way to save her is to give yourself up, Brandi," the first stated. "If you do, she will be released instantly. It's that simple."

"I don't get it… how did you guys even know we were here?" Gaston questioned. "We were trying to get a head start on you! But you knew where we were?"

"We have our ways," the second replied. "But enough stalling. Brandi, if you want to save your Soul Monster's life, surrender now."

Mana shook her head frantically, but Brandi forced herself to ignore her. Without looking at her companions, she took off her Duel Disk and let it fall to the ground. "Fine. Let her go and I'll come quietly."

"But Brandi…!" Hope protested.

"I can't just stand by and watch Mana die," Brandi said firmly. "Please look after her for me, alright?"

"But…" Hope trailed off, knowing that it was useless to say anything as Brandi went over to them.

The first one took out some rope and bound her hands behind her back. When he was done, the second made a gesture to the two Soul Monsters. They released Mana instantly. She collapsed, too weak to move. Then the first one began leading Brandi off to the forest.

The second one turned to the group. "We will know, every second, where each of you is located. If you come after us, we will slay her instantly, so do not try it." With that being said, the second one went after the first one.

While the rest of them watched the second one leave, Hope went over to Mana and shakily undid the gag. "Mana? Can you hear me?"

"Brandi…" Mana moaned. "She… shouldn't have done that… why…?"

"It's alright," Hope tried to assure her. "We'll save her somehow."

"But how?" Draken asked. "You heard what he said. If we go after them, Brandi's dead. What are we supposed to do?"

"I don't know…" Hope admitted. "But there has to be a way. There just has to be!" She brought out a Goblin's Secret Remedy and gently pressed it against some of the worst burns. It did not help much, but it would do until they could afford to spend the time to heal her completely.

-----

"You think this is good enough?" the second asked when they were about five minutes into the forest.

"Sure, why not?" the first shrugged. "It isn't like we're going to be interrupted by them."

With that, he untied the ropes around Brandi's wrists, retying them so that they were attached to a thick tree limb by another section of rope.

"You don't have to worry about having to deal with them," the first told Brandi as she eyed their Soul Monsters warily. "We enjoy torturing our victims ourselves, after all."

With that, the first took out a leather whip from inside his cloak. The second drew a knife, and sliced open the back of Brandi's shirt with it. Then his Soul Monster came over to him, bearing a bucket of water.

Brandi didn't have the time to wonder about the strange object as the whip suddenly came down. It struck her across the back, but she did not make a sound. But it came down again, and again, and again, dealing more pain each time it struck. As her back began to bleed, she could not help but cry out as it hit her.

_This… pain… it's all I can do… to endure it…_

Then the second one picked up the bucket of water, and threw the water onto her back. Agony flared through her as she realized it was salt water.

It was too much. She could not stop herself from screaming.

-----

They all thought hard, but could not come up with a way to rescue Brandi. If they really did know their location, it was impossible to get any closer to her without them knowing.

Then a scream came from the forest. They all leapt up.

"Brandi!" Mana cried, trying to stand but failing.

They heard another cry of pain.

"Damn it… we need to get to her, now!" Draken exclaimed, pale.

"But how?" Hope said desperately. "We're helpless to stop them!"

"As long as they know where we are," Zack agreed. "But there must be a weakness to their method…"

Larka had been silent, face etched with worry for her friend. Malon whined shrilly.

Then she had an idea. She looked down and Malon, and picked him up. Then, without telling her friends what she was doing, she pressed a button in her Duel Disk menu and vanished.

"Larka! Malon! Where did they go?" Gaston exclaimed.

Another scream tore through the air.

"She must have exited Teknisk Wereld…" Draken stated. "But why? They would still know where she is, right?"

"Maybe she wants to pull Brandi out of Teknisk Wereld?" Hope suggested.

"It won't work," Draken told her. "If the Envoyant Machine is shut off, she'll still be trapped here. She has to use her Duel Disk to get out, but since we have it..."

"Maybe she couldn't stand this," Gaston winced as he heard another cry. "I know that I for one can't. It's as though I can feel the pain she's going through just from her screams."

_But Larka… she wouldn't abandon Brandi,_ Hope thought. _She cares about us too much… she would do anything for one of us. That's what her aura's told me countless times. Larka, I don't know what you have planned, but I pray that it works, for Brandi's sake._

To be continued…


	13. Duel of Torture

Alright, finally have a new update!

John: Glad you like that; I do too. But if you think this is good, just wait until later…

Tragic1987: Many thanks. I hope you continue to enjoy it!

Captain Obvious: You know, I never even thought of that odd coincidence. Interesting.

Demon Fan: Your guess was right, it will get interesting. But geez… your assumption about Demon Rue… you will really have to wait for a while before you understand.

**Chapter 13: Duel of Torture**

Larka hurriedly pulled off her Envoyant Machine, and tucked it beneath her arm as she leapt up. Holding both the Envoyant Machine and Malon was somewhat awkward, but Larka knew speed was the key thing here. She would have to bring the Envoyant Machine to save time. She ran past Hime, not hearing her say, "Larka? What's wrong?"

Then she was outside, and she leapt off the ramp to land on the ground.

"Hang on Malon! I'm going to run as fast as I can, and with luck, we'll make it in time!"

Malon barked his confirmation, but gave a whine of confusion.

"You'll see what I have in mind soon enough!" Then she took off, a white blur that zipped through the streets. Luckily, nobody was around to see her and wonder how it was possible.

-----

Neo watched Will anxiously. He was getting used to being able to tell when Will was going to say something, and now was one of those times.

"You have to tell him, Larka… he'll be able to save Brandi… I know it!"

-----

Larka sped through the hospital doors, finally slowing down a little. But she still ran as she went down the hall, ignoring the woman at the desk yelling, "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Where could he be?" Larka murmured as she sped through the hall.

She abruptly halted when she saw the door to Abby's room open a bit ahead of her. Matt stepped out of the room, and gave her a puzzled look. Lilian came out behind him.

"What's wrong? Why are you running?" Matt inquired.

"Oh, Matt, thank everything you're here!" Larka exclaimed. "You have to help us! It's Brandi…"

"What?"

"I'll give you all the details… we don't have the time now! But this is what you need to know. Brandi's being tortured in Teknisk Wereld as we speak… she could die any second, or already be dead! But the guys who took her said they wanted her to suffer for a long time, so she is probably still alive…"

"Brandi's being… tortured?" Matt said softly, eyes flashing with anger. Larka could only remember one time he had used this tone, and it was when they had discovered Ender had ripped Olympion's Soul Card. It was worse than him shouting; it was like his true anger was right below the surface, ready to erupt at any second. And that eruption would mean nothing short of death for those that got in his way.

Lilian shrank back fearfully. Once, when Matt had been like this, he had actually hit her. He had later apologized, but that incident was still in her mind. Whenever he got into this mood, she always tried to avoid him.

"Show me where," Matt growled.

"You can use the room next to this one," Lilian hurriedly said.

"Thanks," Larka replied as she rushed into the room. She lay down on the hard floor, not caring about being uncomfortable, and strapped on her Envoyant Machine. Matt had done the same.

"Where is the location?" Matt asked.

"The forest," Larka replied, turning on her Envoyant Machine. Matt followed her a second later.

-----

The group listened as Brandi's cries grew weaker. But she still did scream, and it tore at them.

"If only we could do something…" Draken said helplessly.

Zack kept his eyes on the forest. "Trust Larka. She will know what to do."

Hope looked at Zack in surprise. _That's kind of odd… it doesn't seem like something Zack would say. _She concentrated, bringing up his aura, and was amazed at the difference. Instead of the normal, grey aura that spoke of grimness, it was glowing slightly gold. The grey part was still there, but it was being suppressed by the gold. There was also a black part that spoke of his worry for Brandi, but she could not tell what the gold meant.

She let the aura fade. _I wonder what this means?_

-----

Larka and Matt came to within the forest. They leapt up instantly.

"Where is she?" Matt asked.

"I can't tell; this isn't the area I was in originally…" Larka said. "Malon! You have to lead us to her!"

Malon yelped in response, and began sniffing the air.

Then they all heard another pained, yet weak, scream.

Larka turned in the direction it had come from. "She's much worse now. If only I had been a bit faster…"

"Remorse later," Matt snarled. "Malon! Get us over there!"

With a bark, he charged into the trees, Larka and Matt following him.

The puppy made several sharp turns in different locations, but they kept up with him easily. Their worry for Brandi, reinforced by the cries that came occasionally, gave them the strength they needed to run through the forest swiftly.

Then Malon halted, growling. They stopped behind him, and looked through the trees.

The two Soul Monsters were nearby, flanking the torturers. The first one had just finished another painful lashing, and was waiting for his companion to use a magic card. In a second, the bucket he was holding was once more filled with salt water.

Brandi was hanging limply from the rope that kept her up; she was too weak to stand. Blood was coming from the numerous wounds on her back, staining her clothes and the ground it landed on. The blood loss and agony had caused her to fall into a state of half-consciousness, with the pain being the only thing that kept her from going into darkness. The only thing she looked forward to was the fact that she would soon die. She could tell, from the weakness that had taken over her whole body and the pain that lanced through her, that soon she would be dead, and finally free from the agony…

Matt watched as the second one began to lift the bucket to throw at Brandi, and he snapped. He took out his Soul Card, and Masque emerged.

Larka was amazed at his size though. He was no bigger than Malon. However, he was still fast, and leapt into the clearing, right behind the second torturer.

And in less time than Larka could blink, he had changed sizes. The seven foot Masque now towered over his victim. The unlucky man didn't even have time to scream before he was slain by Masque's deadly claws. Before the Viser Death could register what had just happened, it met the same fate.

The first torturer was a quick thinker though. He pulled out a knife and held it up to Brandi's throat.

"Call him off!" the torturer ordered.

Matt glared at him, but had no choice. "Masque, get over here!"

Masque obediently came over to him, but still faced the torturer.

"Looks like we're at a stalemate," the torturer said calmly, not seeming the least bit sorry for his dead companion.

"Not for long. Let Brandi go, or else I can guarantee that you'll be wishing you had never been born," Matt threatened.

"Big words for someone who is helpless," the torturer responded.

"Your position is no better," Matt pointed out.

"True. So perhaps we should settle this with a duel," the torturer suggested.

"If that's the way you want to die, be my guest," Matt stated, going to the opposite side of the clearing. He looked over at Brandi's pale form, and took out a card, inserting it into his Duel Disk. A red glow surrounded her for a second before vanishing.

"Compensation of Blood," Matt told the torturer before he could ask. "I'm not going to let Brandi die of blood loss while we're dueling."

"Fine," his foe said. "It gives me more time to torture her, after all."

Larka had entered the clearing to watch the duel. She looked over at Brandi, and then turned back to Matt. _I've never seen Matt duel before… I hope he's as good as the others say he is. No, I need to quit doubting him. He's brilliant when it comes to making decks, and with strategies, so he has to be able to win. With Brandi's life on the line, I'm sure he'll play to the best of his ability._

-----

When no more screams came for five minutes, the rest of the group became concerned.

Hope finally could not take it anymore. "If Brandi's… well, if the torture has stopped… then there's no reason not to go, right?"

"Yeah. Let's get over there," Draken nodded.

"Mana? Can you walk?" Gaston asked.

"Yes," she replied, standing. They noticed that she limped more than walked, but did not comment on it.

With that, they set off, dreading what they might see but knowing they could wait no longer.

-----

Matt: 8000

Torturer: 8000

"I'll start this," Matt stated. "I summon Red Cyclops, (1800/1700) and lay two cards down. That's it."

The torturer smirked at his draw. "My first move will be to play Jar of Greed to draw two more cards. Then I shall activate Iron Cage of Nightmares."

Thick steel bars shot out of the ground, trapping Matt in a dome like cage with several spikes on the outside. Larka remembered when they had been imprisoned in one like it, and shivered.

"For two turns, neither of us will be able to attack. Then I lay three cards of my own, and summon Iron Demon Viser Death. (500/1200) And he will be attached to Red Cyclops."

The Viser went onto the Red Cyclops, which roared in confusion as it shook its head wildly, trying to dislodge the Viser Death.

"After three of my standby phases, your Cyclops will be instantly destroyed. For the time being, I will play one other card: Magical Bonds."

Glowing yellow chains sprang out of midair, binding themselves around both players.

"Every time we play or set a card, we lose 500 Life Points. I end my turn at that."

"I'm not going to let you get away with your Viser's effect. I sacrifice my Cyclops to summon Legend Devil! (1500/1800) That means I take 500 damage, but it will be worth it. That's all for me."

Matt: 7500

Torturer: 8000

"You would sacrifice a monster for something that weak? Pathetic! But I suppose he will be fun to play around with. So I activate my Soul Monster's ability."

The Viser Shock suddenly shot forward, and restrained the Legend Devil. Then it went back to its master's side, still holding the trapped monster.

"Your monster has been removed from play. And for each of my standby phases, you will lose Life Points equal to half of your monster's attack. Then I switch Viser Death to defense mode, and end my turn."

"Damn it…" Matt muttered. The Legend Devil would have helped him a lot more than the torturer could have known, but he wasn't about to admit that. "I summon Cursed Gyura. (1500/1200) That's it."

Matt: 7000

Torturer: 8000

"My Viser Shock's Deck Master ability activates now. You take 750 damage."

Matt: 6250

Torturer: 8000

"Then I activate my trap card, Torture Wheel, on your Cursed Gyura. It is trapped, and for each of your standby phases, you lose 500 Life Points. Then I'm done. That signals the end of my Iron Cage of Nightmares, so you are free to attack once more."

"Alright… I draw, and lose 500 Life Points to the Torture Wheel…"

Matt: 5750

Torturer: 8000

"I lay one card face down."

Matt: 5250

Torturer: 8000

"Then it's your move."

Matt: 4500

Torturer: 8000

"Let me help you on your way to defeat. I summon Executioner Makyura. (1600/1200)"

Matt: 4500

Torturer: 7500

"He attacks your face down monster."

"It's my King Goblin, (0/0)" Matt stated. "For every Demon Sub-Type on the field, besides himself, he gets 1000 more to his stats. (1000/1000)"

"That makes no difference."

"Wrong," Matt then smirked. "Masque, you know what to do."

Masque let out a hissing screech, and a mask flew out, covering Executioner Makyura. It clawed at the mask frantically, but could not get it off. Then an explosion blinded them. When they looked up again, the Makyura was gone.

"You triggered Masque's Deck Master ability," Matt explained. "When you destroy one of my monsters in battle with a monster that is higher leveled than mine, your monster is automatically destroyed."

"Gr… fine. I end my turn."

"Alright. I lose yet another 500 Life Points to Torture Wheel."

Matt: 4000

Torturer: 7500

Matt looked at his new card. "Just what kind of a theme are you playing, anyway?"

"It's basically a deck made up of any cards that have to deal with torture."

"Geez, no wonder it sucks," Matt said in disgust.

"How can you say that when it's beating you?" the torturer snickered.

_He's right,_ Larka realized. _Matt only a few turns before Viser Shock and Magical Bonds kills him. _She glanced over at Brandi again, who hung weakly from the ropes. _No. I have to believe in Matt. He's the only one who can save Brandi now._

Matt looked at the field. "You had me for a while, but I'm about to put an end to this duel."

"Oh, really? Fine. Show me what you can do."

"First, I activate Destruction Ring on your Viser Death! This means we each take 500 damage."

"Not quite," the torturer smirked. "I activate Curse of Pain. This instant magic card negates any damage that isn't battle damage that you do and causes you to be hurt by it instead."

Matt: 3000

Torturer: 7500

"It makes no difference," Matt told him. "I activate Cry of the Living Dead, to bring back my Goblin King! (1000/1000) Then I sacrifice him and Cursed Gyura to special summon Masked Beast Death Guardius! (3300/2500)"

Matt: 2500

Torturer: 7500

"A strong monster, but it will not be enough."

"No, he isn't. So I'll give him some help. I remove Red Cyclops, Cursed Gyura, and Goblin King from my Cemetery to special summon Dark Necrophia! (2200/2800)"

Matt: 2000

Torturer: 7500

"It is still not enough," the torturer said. But he looked nervous as he stated this.

"That's why I have one more monster to call forth," Matt said. "Masque! Come forth!"

Masque walked onto the field, giving another piercing cry. (3300/2500)

The torturer stared at the three monsters in horror.

"Necrophia, attack! Death Guardius, follow up! Masque, kill him!"

Matt: 2000

Torturer: 0

Masque plunged his claws deep into the torturer, tearing him apart into several pieces. Then, with a horrible screech, the Viser Shock was shredded by Masque as well. Then he vanished into Matt's Soul Card.

For a second, Larka stared at the sight, awed. But she quickly regained her senses and ran over to Brandi. The rope was bound too tightly to untie, so she sliced it apart easily with her claw-like fingernails, and gently helped Brandi lay on the ground, stomach to the ground due to her injured back. Malon whimpered softly as Larka tried to get Brandi to come around.

"Brandi! Can you hear me?"

"…Larka…" she managed to whisper.

"That's right. It's ok, you're safe. Matt killed those other men."

"…Matt…?"

"I'm here," he responded, kneeling beside her and looking at her back wounds. "Damn it… I don't have any cards that can heal these injuries. They're just too severe."

Malon's ears suddenly lifted. He sniffed the air a few times, and then barked happily as the rest of the group entered the clearing.

"Larka! You're here!" Hope exclaimed. "How is Brandi?"

"Not good," Larka replied worriedly.

"Matt! How did you get here?" Draken asked.

"Larka told me what happened, so I came instantly," Matt explained.

Gaston gave the corpses a disgusted look. "It looks like you weren't happy with them."

"As if I was going to let them get away with what they did," Matt said.

"How did they get torn apart like this?" Darche inquired.

"I let Masque have them as new ripping toys," was Matt's calm response. "He enjoys killing a few things now and then."

"And mutilating them, I assume," Gaston said dryly before they turned back to Brandi.

Hope was shocked over the damage that had come to her friend. "This is horrible… why must there be so many

Larka turned to Mana. "I'm glad to see you're up. Can you heal Brandi?"

"…Yes," Mana responded, lifting Brandi carefully. Then she limped off towards the trees.

"Where are you going?" Matt asked, following her.

"Go away," Mana snapped. Matt halted, watching her with surprise as she left.

"She hardly ever speaks like that… why did she do it now?" he wondered.

"I don't blame her," Hope said. "She was tortured and used as a hostage so that Brandi would be captured. And she was helpless when Brandi was going through that ordeal… she probably also feels violated by the way she was treated."

"Mana was tortured as well? Well, that explains," Matt stated. "Now I see why she seemed injured."

"So… I guess we can explain what's been happening while we're waiting for them," Draken suggested.

"Yeah, I'd like to know. For one thing, how the hell are you here?" Matt asked.

"I think we'd all like to know," Gaston commented. "What was that urgent thing you had to take care of?"

"Oh… nothing that you guys need to be concerned with," Draken replied, not looking at them. "It's over with now."

"If you say so…" Hope said doubtfully. "Then we'll tell you about everything else that occurred, Matt. By the way Larka, I'm impressed that you kept your head while that was happening."

"It was nothing," Larka replied, also choosing to avert her eyes.

"Of course it was something! Brandi would probably be dead by now if you hadn't gotten Matt. So Zack was right."

"Huh?" She gave Zack a puzzled look.

"He said to trust you, and that you would know what to do. I should have had that kind of confidence in you," Hope said.

Unable to think of anything to say to that, she turned away, hiding her now pink face.

"Quit making her feel awkward," Draken laughed. "I think it would be best if you told Matt what's happened, since I wasn't around for the whole time."

"Alright," Hope agreed.

-----

Mana kept walking, ignoring the pain from the burns that her legs had. Brandi lay still in her arms, close to being unconscious but not quite. The steady waves of pain told her that much.

Due to her slow pace, it took longer than usual for her to reach the tree at the edge of the forest, nearby the lake. But she finally arrived, and without a second of hesitation, stepped right into the trunk of it.

But instead of still standing on solid ground inside it, she fell a short distance to land on the floor of a tunnel. Landing painfully, she limped down the tunnel.

After even more walking, she made it to the end of the tunnel and leapt out.

They were on a tropical island. It wasn't a large piece of land, but it wasn't too small either. She had emerged at about the center of the island. Stepping over the beautiful green grass, she went towards a rocky shore surrounding a spring.

Mana limped over to it, looking down into the water. It was more pure and clean than any water that could be hoped to be found, whether it be in real life or in another section of Teknisk Wereld. That wasn't the only unique thing about the water though. It was also glowing a soft blue, and the energy was one that could cause anyone to relax, and know that they were safe.

Mana tossed Brandi into the spring, and then fell into it herself.

Until this point, Brandi had barely been aware of where they were. Now, as she felt the wounds on her back start to close, and her pain fade away, she recognized it. The Elemental Spring was the only place that could heal her like this, after all.

Even as the last cut vanished, leaving no scars to show of her pain, she remained in the water, cherishing the fact that she was still alive, and free of the agony that had plagued her. The crystal clear water allowed her to open her eyes. Although the bottom was nothing more than a rock floor, she still gazed at it, just relaxing.

At long last, she came up, shaking her hair out of her eyes. Mana had come as well. Brandi saw that there were no signs of the burns on her skin anymore.

But then she noticed something that made her stare in shock.

Sitting on the shore was a young girl. She had on a white dress, and her black shoes were next to her on the shore, since she had taken them off to dangle her legs in the water. Her shoulder length, dark brown hair and light blue eyes would have caused Hope, Fell, and Larka to recognize her instantly. The silver cross gleamed from the blue glow of the spring.

She laughed at Brandi's shocked expression. "Don't worry. I didn't come here to harm you. I just heard both of you coming and waited to see who you were. I've never met anyone else here."

"Neither have I…" Brandi replied, still surprised. "I thought nobody else knew about this location. Mana and I came to it accidentally, on our first day in Teknisk Wereld. We ran into a Cave Dragon, who attacked us, probably due to us entering its territory. Mana defeated it but was badly wounded. I got her to this spring though, and she healed. Ever since then, it's been our secret area. Oh, Mana's my Soul Monster. I'm Brandi."

"My name is Katrina. Don't worry; I'm probably the only one who knows of this Elemental Spring," the girl assured. "It was sealed off for a reason. This place is really important, so we can't have random people wandering in who would misuse it."

Brandi introduced, getting out of the spring to join her. Mana sat down next to her. "How can you even be in Teknisk Wereld? You can't be thirteen yet."

"I'm an exception," Katrina said brightly. Then she turned to look at the water, looking grim. "Grandpa said I shouldn't go in today, but I did anyway. He's taking this the wrong way, you know. It isn't Teknisk Wereld's fault that this is all happening."

"What do you mean?" Brandi asked.

"Well, it isn't Teknisk Wereld that's killing people. It's others that want to abuse the powers of it. So why should Teknisk Wereld be to blame?"

"I don't understand. What are you talking about?" Brandi inquired.

Katrina turned back to look at her. "He won't do anything now, but I get the feeling he eventually will. I'm worried about that happening. Brandi… when Teknisk Wereld is threatened, will you help it? Will you and your friends defend it?"

"My friends?" Brandi asked.

"Hope, Fell, Larka, and the other one… I've met them." She laughed again when Brandi gave her another thunder-struck look. "It was in the real world. I'm not quite sure about Fell… he has other things to do, doesn't he? But Hope, Larka, and you can help me, can't you?"

"But I don't understand," Brandi said.

"You will in good time," Katrina told her, as she stood up. "This place is one that should be kept secret. I know you haven't and won't tell anyone about it. Know that I will not either."

"Alright…" Brandi nodded.

"You're going to stay here?" Mana inquired.

"Yes. I haven't visited her yet," Katrina smiled.

"Her?" Brandi asked.

"You'll see," Katrina replied.

"Will we meet again?" Brandi asked.

"It's guaranteed," Katrina stated. "Whether it be here or another location. So I will see you, and your friends, later." Then she leapt into the spring.

Mana stared at the spot she had leapt. "She was strange… but I liked her."

"Yeah. She said some confusing things… I wonder what she meant?" Brandi pondered.

"We can worry about it later," Mana replied. "Let's get back to the others."

"Right," Brandi agreed. And with that, they went back towards the tunnel.

Katrina swam down, going towards the bottom. She did not worry about drowning; the Elemental Spring could not take a life in any matter, even through suffocation.

She landed, facing the rock wall. Following it, she soon came to a crystal that was embedded into the wall.

Katrina smiled sadly at the one inside the crystal. _I wish I could meet you… I really do… but when you awaken, it will be a time of death. So I also wish you could sleep forever, and never have to wake up and face this. But you will have to, won't you? I know that._

Satisfied that she had done what she had come to do, she swam back up. And when the sun finally dried her, she teleported out of Teknisk Wereld.

To be continued…


	14. Recovery

Late Merry Christmas! I was visiting dad and being lazy for a while, but I'm ready to write once more!

John: Yep, don't mess with Matt was one of the main lessons learned in that chapter. And I have to agree that Malady certainly was one to torture… maybe that's one reason I liked having her as a villain.

Demon Fan: Demon Rue actually used a Deck Destruction Virus of Death deck. Since the requirements for that card are to sacrifice a Dark Main-Type monster with 1000 or less attack, that is why his deck is full of Dark Main-Types. However, since that card is now restricted to one, he's going to need a new deck…

YugiFan: Hey, nice to see you again. Hope you enjoy this version too!

Captain Obvious: When Matt hits, he hits hard. So yeah, you're right.

Tragic1987: Sorry for the long wait!

**Chapter 14: Recovering**

"I see," Matt said when Hope finished the tale. "So Thanatos was actually working for someone? But who?"

"That's what we have to find out," Zack stated.

"This time, we'll stick together," Hope declared. "We can't afford to have this happen again."

Malon perked his ears, and then barked excitedly as Brandi and Mana came over to them.

"Brandi! Mana!" Hope gasped. "Your wounds…"

"I healed her. She healed me in return," Mana said simply.

Brandi nodded. "Um… Matt, Larka… thanks."

"I'm just glad you're alright," Larka replied. "I was really worried about you."

"No need to thank me," Matt told her. "After all, the least I can do is protect you, right?"

Brandi did not have time to reply before he kissed her.

Draken rolled his eyes. "How about getting a room?"

"You're just jealous," Hope teased. "I bet you want a girlfriend of your own."

Matt looked over at them as they finally broke the kiss. "Or maybe he already has one, but doesn't want to admit it," he said mischievously.

"What the… that's not true!" Draken shouted, blushing furiously.

"Yeah, you're really convincing me it isn't," Matt smirked.

"Alright, break it up," Gaston said. "This isn't the time to argue."

"Besides, it's doubtful Draken could get a girlfriend, even if he tried," Mana joked.

"I don't know…" Hope commented. "His silver hair would probably attract at least a few."

"Would you people just shut up?!" Draken snarled.

"You started it," Darche pointed out.

"Whose side are you on?" Draken snapped.

Larka finally stopped laughing and took some pity on the embarrassed teen. "Come on guys. We need to get back to planning what we're going to do next."

"I vote that we teleport out for a while," Gaston stated. "What if there are more of them? They might be able to track us as well. If they can, they'll come after Brandi again. We need some time to recover and think of a new plan."

"He's right," Matt nodded. "Larka and I are at the hospital. Why don't you meet us there?"

"Maybe later," Hope replied. "I think it would be best to stay in the condo for the time being."

"Alright. I'll come back then," Larka decided.

"Wait a minute," Draken interrupted. "What about me? Should I come to South Carolina?"

"Yeah," Matt said. "I think that would be for the best. I can provide you with money if needed." He handed Draken an envelope.

"That would be helpful," Draken stated. "I'll be there shortly."

With that settled, they left.

-----

When Miles came around, he too felt severely injured. He hurt everywhere, and wanted nothing more than to fall unconscious again, to escape this pain.

_But… How did this happen? It was… Thanatos… the others! What happened to them?!_

Miles' eyes flew open, and as a result he was instantly blinded by the light. He shut his eyes again, groaning.

Gen had been in the chair in the room, thinking about what their friends might be doing. But he was brought out of his thoughts immediately when he heard his companion.

"Miles!" he exclaimed, going over to him.

"…Gen?" Miles muttered, carefully opening his eyes again. This time, the light did not affect him as severely. "How did I get here?"

"Hope and the others brought you here," Gen explained.

Miles' eyes widened. "They did?"

"That's right."

"But… how did you get here?" Miles asked hesitatingly.

"Hope, Brandi, and Larka found the Soul Card and summoned me. They said they were wondering where I was when you arrived." Gen's eyes betrayed no emotion as he spoke.

Miles looked away. "Gen…" _No, damn it. I have to face this. I have to show Gen that I mean what I say._ He turned his gaze back to his Soul Monster. "I failed you, and all of them. You were right, completely right, and I knew it all along. I just ignored you, hoping it would all work out, but I only made things worse for myself, and more importantly, for them, and for you. I deserved what Thanatos gave me, and more. I thought nothing would be worse than what I did to my townspeople, my home… but you were right, this is at least ten times worse!" His eyes began to shine with unreleased tears. "I could have lived with what I did… I would have always felt terrible about it, but I could have put it aside and helped our friends… but I hid, like the weakling I was! Draken once called Fell weak, but at least Fell wouldn't have betrayed them like I did! They were right not to trust me when we first met… look where it got them! They'll never be able to trust me again because of this… the only friends I have are going to abandon me… it's the worst penalty I could go through, and even that won't make up for what I did." By now, his tears were falling, silently landing on the pillow. Ignoring his blurred vision, he went on. "I wouldn't blame you if you left me now… I was a traitor to you, too. You should abandon me. You have all the right to…" He trailed off, and could not continue.

Gen sat down next to him on the bed, already knowing how he would answer Miles. He pulled off the white glove on his right hand and set it aside, before gently wiping away the tears on Miles' face.

Miles was so shocked by the action that he stopped crying, staring at Gen's uncovered hand. "Gen… you've never…"

"These gloves are important to me," Gen said quietly. "I don't like taking them off, no matter what the reason. It's like a badge that states that I am a thief, which is what I want to be known as. Once a thief, always a thief, isn't that how the saying goes? My outfit shows that, and the gloves play a critical role in it. That's why I have never removed them… until now. I'm making an exception this time, because you need to know that I can touch you with my bare skin without hesitation. Would I do that for someone I hated? Just the opposite; I'd only do it for one I would always remain loyal to."

Miles fought back even more tears that threatened to overwhelm him. "Even after… all that I have done?"

"You regret what you did, and won't do it again. That's enough reason for me to forgive you."

"…I don't deserve a Soul Monster even as half as good as you, Gen… I can't tell you how grateful I am with words alone... argh! Damn tears…"

"That's part of who you are," Gen said, wiping the new ones away. "You always show your emotions, even when others are watching. It takes a lot of courage to admit you are wrong about something, which is what you did. Keep showing others what you feel; it's one of your finest points. And remember that even the strongest man will cry. It's not wrong to weep."

"I guess so… it's annoying though," Miles commented, this time forcing himself not to break down again.

"So… I will stay by your side," Gen assured, slipping on his glove again. "The others will as well."

"They will? But I betrayed them!" Miles exclaimed.

"You won't do that again, will you? They need all the help they can get, Miles. If you are willing to assist them, then they'll accept that. They know you regretted it. Hope herself said she thought no less of you."

"How would they know I regretted it?" Miles inquired.

"Your condition told the tale. You fought against Thanatos, didn't you?"

"…Yeah, I did," Miles replied. "He must have gotten me pretty badly…"

"Broken arms, broken legs, and broken ribs," Gen told him. "I was afraid you might be dead when I first saw you."

"…Geez. That explains why I hurt everywhere," Miles sighed. "I should have been killed though… wait! Thanatos said he wanted me to… have to live with the knowledge of what I did… knowing I was the one who killed them! Gen, did they all make it out?"

"From what they told me, none of them were injured," Gen replied. "They all suffered smoke inhalation, especially Hope, but that was about it."

"Thank God for that," Miles said with relief. "If one of them had died… no, I don't even want to think about that."

You should try to get some more rest," Gen stated. "You will have a chance to see them soon."

"Yeah…" Exhausted from the rush of emotions he had felt, he had no trouble falling back asleep.

Gen went back to the chair he had been occupying, gazing at the sleeping teen. _It may have cost him a lot to learn what he needed to, but at last he is accepting what he has done. I suppose that means some good has come out of this. As long as Miles can recover physically, then he will be fine. I can only pray that his body will be able to heal…_

-----

Larka picked up her Envoyant Machine. "I guess I'll go back now."

Malon barked in agreement.

Matt seemed troubled by something. "You will be coming back tomorrow, right? And the others will be as well?"

"I think so," Larka nodded. "Draken will probably want to see everyone, and we'll want to check on them too."

"Alright. I'll be here, so please make sure that Brandi comes to talk to me," Matt requested.

"Sure," Larka agreed. "Well, I'll see you soon."

"Right… by the way…"

Larka turned back to him. "Yes?"

"…Thanks for contacting me. I've been really worried about Brandi, and haven't been able to do much lately. I was happy to be able to help this time."

"No problem," Larka smiled. "Thanks for coming. I don't even want to think about what would have occurred if… you know…"

"Yeah. Bye until tomorrow."

-----

Hope sat up, removing her Envoyant Machine. The others had already made it back.

"What should we do now?" Gaston inquired.

"Let's just relax," Hope suggested. "We can start making plans when Draken arrives tomorrow. Besides, I'm tired, and I'm sure the rest of you are as well. So let's get some sleep."

"You won't hear any arguments from me," Mana stated. "I'm exhausted…"

Hime entered the room, Perseus following. "You're back? I'm relieved… I thought something had gone wrong. A while ago, Larka ran by me, and I was afraid you were in trouble."

"Is anything wrong?" Perseus inquired.

"It's nothing you need to concern yourself over," Gaston assured.

"I overheard you say you wanted to rest, and that is fine, but how about eating first?" Hime offered.

"That'd be great, thanks," Brandi replied. "But Larka should eat as well…"

"I'd be delighted to," Larka said, walking into the room. Malon went over to Daine, yipping at him.

"Hi," Hope greeted. "We didn't even hear you enter."

"The door was unlocked," Larka shrugged. "So, what did I hear about eating?"

They soon discovered that the food Hime had prepared was none other than ziti, the same dish Brandi had made a night not too long ago, although it seemed ages away. Hope had never even heard of it, and although she was hesitant to try new foods, she wasn't about to offend her host by refusing to test it. She was quite happy she did, for she discovered that she loved it.

"Geez," Brandi commented as she watched Hope devour a third helping. "I never knew you could eat so much."

"I can't get enough of pasta," Hope explained after swallowing. "I'm addicted to it."

Larka and Fell were allowed to have left over chicken that Hime had uncovered in the fridge, and Zack had chosen to stay in the living room. Chasity also ate ziti, but finished quickly and played with Malon while the others took their time eating.

"Thanks Hime," Hope said, putting her dishes on the counter when she was finally done.

"Same here," Larka threw in.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. Go ahead and get some sleep now. Chasity, it's time for you to go to bed as well."

"I'm not tired!" Chasity protested, covering her mouth as she yawned.

"Don't try it," Hime warned.

"Fine… good night guys," she said, petting Malon before leaving.

Brandi left for her room shortly afterwards. Zack went over to his usual corner to recharge. But before Hope could go to the sofa bed, Larka pulled her aside.

"Tonight is a full moon," Larka told her. "So I'm going to sleep outside."

"Will you be ok?" Hope asked.

"Yes, as long as I'm with Malon. I'd just prefer to be outside in case something goes wrong."

"Alright. See you in the morning then."

-----

_Hope stood before the painting in the church. It was exactly as she had remembered it. There was Obelisk, Osiris, and Ra. They were around Satan, as though they were guarding him as he slept._

_Wait… no, it wasn't the same. For Obelisk's eyes were now glowing red, as though it had finally awoken from a long slumber._

_But there were two things Hope had not noticed in the painting that were now there. Two shadowy figures stood beside Satan._

_The one to the right she recognized, but could not tell how…_

_The other was very hard to make out, even more difficult than the first. But she caught sight of the flash of a red jewel, between something producing from the figure's head…_

_And then she heard his voice…_

_"Come back to me, my loyal servants. Join me once more…"_

Hope sat up in bed, heart pounding. It took her a few seconds to be able to breathe normally. Then she checked her orb. As she had suspected, it was glowing black.

Then she realized what it was that had woken her up. Malon was barking at the front door while frantically jumping at it. Larka was already there, struggling to hold him back while she opened the door.

"Nice welcoming committee," Draken joked as he stepped inside, Darche following. Malon managed to get free from Larka's grasp and instantly began leaping at Draken. "Hey, down boy!"

"You got here pretty quickly," Brandi said.

Hope, not wanting to be left out of the conversation, went over to the front.

"You're finally awake; it's about time," Gaston stated.

"Am I always the last one up?" Hope complained.

"Yes, you are," Draken confirmed. "So what are we going to do?"

"Before we decide anything, we're eating," Brandi told them. "Then we'll talk."

Hope hung behind the rest of them, asking Larka, "Were you ok last night?"

"Yep. Malon did his part perfectly."

"That's good to hear."

Much to everyone's relief, bagels were not on the menu today. Hime had made eggs instead. Soon they were done, and were ready to discuss their plans.

"Before going back to Teknisk Wereld, could you tell me what has been going on?" Draken requested. "I would like to know what I've missed."

"Sure, I can explain," Hope offered.

After several minutes of speaking, she finally finished.

"I can't believe this," Draken growled. "I wish I had been here to help… sorry guys…"

"It's alright," Larka responded. "You would have if you could have."

"Yeah, definitely," Draken nodded. "Um… I have a request. Could we go to the hospital and rehab center? I'd like to see how they're doing with my own eyes…"

"Of course," Hope replied. "We wanted to check on them anyway, and I'm sure Zack will want to see them as well."

"Correct," Zack confirmed.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Draken said, leaping up.

-----

"This is the rehab center," Brandi told Draken as the humans walked into it. Their Soul Monsters had retreated into their Soul Cards for the time being.

"I see…"

Hope went over to the desk. "Excuse me, may we please see Rue and Claire Klause? They should be here."

The woman typed some commands into her computer, and then nodded. "Sure. Go through the hall and turn right. It will be the third door to your left."

"Thanks," Hope replied as they left.

When they reached the door, Larka knocked on it. In a few seconds, they heard Claire call, "Come in!"

They entered the room and found the siblings sitting in two chairs out of the three in the room. Ruecian was nearby, watching them as they came in.

"About time you came!" Rue exclaimed. "I've been dying of boredom here."

"I would be too, if I was stuck in this place," Draken commented, coming forward.

Rue stared at him.

"Hello? You alright?" Draken asked.

This finally brought Rue's power of speech back. "…WHERE THE BLOODY HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?!"

"Elsewhere. Don't expect much more from me than that," Draken grinned.

"Argh! More riddles to add onto the ones we already have? This is too much!" Rue complained.

Draken laughed. "Sorry pal. Maybe I'll explain some other time. So, how are you doing with walking?"

"Not well," Rue growled.

"He'll catch on eventually," Claire said. "But when that will be, we don't know."

"Hey, you didn't come back last night, did you?" Hope realized.

"I was allowed to stay beyond the visiting hours," Claire explained. "It took some begging, but it worked."

"Some begging?" Rue muttered. "Allow me to quote Will; don't make understatements."

"So, you want to know what's been happening?" Larka asked.

"Definitely!" Rue said. "How have you guys been doing with Thanatos?"

Once again, Brandi told the tale, even though she was tired of having to repeat it over and over again.

"Geez," was all Rue had to say when she was done.

"So you will go back to search some more today?" Claire inferred.

"That's right," Draken responded. "This virus is spreading quickly. We need to find it before it is too late."

"Yeah," Claire nodded. "I understand. I wish I could help though."

"So do I. But no… I can only wait here to recover! I really hate being helpless," Rue sighed.

"Then get better soon, or else I will personally beat the tar out of you," Draken grinned.

"Way to restore my confidence," Rue said dryly.

"See you all later," Hope said as they left.

Rue looked up at the ceiling. "So that's it, huh? All we can do is wait?"

"We can also believe in them," Claire stated. "I think that will be a lot better than just sitting here."

"True," Rue agreed.

-----

"So, who do you think we should see first?" Draken asked as they entered the hospital.

"We'll go in order from the nearest room to the farthest," Hope replied. "So Will, then Miles, then Fell, and then Max..."

"Alright then. Shall we go?" Draken suggested.

Hope lead the way to Will's room, gently knocking on the door. When there was no response, she opened it.

After they entered, Larka closed the door softly, looking over at Neo. The swordsman had finally given in to exhaustion, and was asleep in the chair. Will was still, the black marks still vivid.

"Should we wake him up?" Draken whispered, indicating to Neo.

"Let him sleep," Hope answered. "He hardly gets any rest, due to his worry for Will."

"Poor guy," Draken murmured, before going over to Will. "Hm… you're right. This does look a lot like the Black Snake Sickness." He lightly touched his forehead, and yanked his hand away almost instantly. "Yikes… his skin is burning…"

"That's why we have to work quickly," Brandi stated. "Or else it will be too late to save him."

"You're right," Draken said. "Just seeing this makes me want to run out and start looking now…"

"We will, soon enough," Larka assured. "But let's check on the others before we do that."

"Yeah, of course…" Draken gave Will one last look before they left.

They went over to the next door, which Hope once more knocked on. This time, Gen answered by opening it.

"Hi. Come on in," he invited.

"Thanks," Larka replied for all of them as they entered.

Hope, Brandi, and Larka instantly saw the difference from their other visits though. This time, they were shocked to see that Miles was awake.

Miles finally broke the uncomfortable silence. "Hey… nice to see you guys, although I'm not sure if you can say the same for me."

Draken ignored his last statement. "How do you feel?"

"Like I got beaten up so badly that I'll never be able to move again. I can't say that I don't deserve it, either," Miles said. "I doubt it means much to you guys, but I really do regret what I did. I betrayed you all, and that's something I just can't ask to be forgiven for. It's too severe… if any of you had died due to my actions…"

"You had a reason to do this, didn't you?" Brandi asked.

"Yeah… I'd rather tell everyone at once though," Miles replied.

"Thanatos was the one that injured you, right? But why did he do that?" Hope asked him.

"I hated what I had done the moment after I executed it. When Thanatos wanted to kill me too, I wanted to take him down with me… it didn't work very well though."

"…You would not betray us again, would you?" Larka asked.

"Dying would be better than the guilt I feel now. That means that no, I'll never do that, never again…" Miles trailed off.

Hope considered his words before answering. "I'm one for second chances. I'm sure you had a reason for doing what you did, and if you say you won't do it again, I'll take your word for it."

"I agree," Larka stated. "I'm sure everyone else will as well."

"That makes me feel even more guilty," Miles pointed out. "Nevertheless, I'm relieved. If I lost you guys... well… I'd have nothing."

"Don't kill yourself over it," Brandi shrugged. "We're fine, so no harm done as long as we can trust you now."

"Right," Miles said. "Now that that's out of the way, maybe you could tell me what's been happening. Like, how did Draken get here? And when did Zack come around?"

"I got here by airplane," Draken stated.

"That isn't really what I meant…"

"Sorry, but I have no more details to give. Zack regained consciousness yesterday, to answer your other question."

"We can tell you more later," Hope said. "Right now, we're kind of in a hurry. Will is infected with that virus still, and we need to find a cure for it quickly."

"Then go for it," Miles replied. "I can wait to hear the tale."

"Alright. We'll see you later. You too, Gen," Hope directed to the Soul Monster.

"Yeah. Good luck," Gen responded.

"Hopefully you will recover swiftly," Zack stated before leaving with the rest of the group.

Gen closed the door after them. "See? I was sure they would forgive you."

"I wasn't, but I'm really grateful they did," Miles said. "I wish I could assist, but that's kind of out of the question… so I guess all we can do is have faith in them."

"Indeed."

Meanwhile, the group had reached their next destination. Hope knocked yet again.

"Come in!" they heard Lilian call from inside, and entered.

Daine was sitting nearby the wall opposite of the bed, watching the group enter the room. Lilian was removing the bandages from Fell's left arm, while he sat on the edge of the bed, looking bored with the procedure.

"Fell! You're awake!" Larka exclaimed.

He glanced over at them, but stayed silent, like usual.

"I am simply amazed at how quickly he has recovered," Lilian told them, taking off the last bandage. "Yesterday, he had several injuries, but now, there isn't even a sign of any!"

"That is because of the full moon," Daine explained, for the others' benefit. "I channeled the energy he got from it so that it could be used to make him heal faster. The visible signs of wounds are gone, although he will still be a bit of pain for a while."

"Not bad," Brandi commented. "So can he leave?"

"Yes. There's no reason for him to stay, after all." She got up. "I have some other good news. Max has woken up."

"He has? Is he ok?" Brandi asked anxiously.

"He needs more time to recover, among other things. Why don't you see him for yourself? I would prefer that he doesn't feel crowded though. So Brandi and Hope, why don't you two go in? If the rest of you wouldn't mind waiting until a later time to see him…"

"That's fine," Draken assured. "Go ahead you two."

"Thanks," Hope replied before they left the room, following Lilian.

Lilian halted outside of the door. "I'll wait here for you two to be done."

"Alright," Hope agreed as they stepped inside.

Max looked over at them as they entered. He turned his eyes away quickly though.

"Max…" Hope began, but paused. Then she started again. "Um… about what happened before…"

"We don't need to discuss it," Brandi interrupted, giving Hope a look that told her she would not take any arguments. "There is no reason to blame you on anything; it was all Thanatos' doing. And now that he is gone, we don't have to worry about it anymore."

"…Yeah," Max replied, but still could not meet their eyes.

"How do you feel?" Brandi asked.

"Pained, physically and mentally. I'm going to miss having Olympion around for the latter…"

Now it was Hope's turn to look towards the ground. She knew that their relationship might have been different, but losing a Soul Monster… she couldn't even begin to imagine how painful it would feel to lose Gaston.

"I need time to think about this," Max stated. "That's all."

"Then you will have that time," Brandi said. "We're going to try to find a way to save Will. Everyone else is going to be ok… but he is close to death. So we must go."

"All I can say is that I hope you succeed," Max replied, finally turning to them.

"Thanks," Hope said softly. "And I hope you recover quickly."

Max did not respond to that, but looked over at Brandi. "I almost forgot… you might need to know the location of Obelisk."

As he said the name, Hope felt something… what was it… a desire?

"Oh, yes… where is it?" Brandi inquired.

"I asked Mana to hide it in a location where only you would look, so ask her. She should have told you already…"

"She probably forgot to tell me," Brandi said in disgust. "Oh well. No harm done, I guess. I can already think of where it probably is. Thanks."

"See you later," he stated, closing his eyes.

Lilian was waiting for them when they came back. Before going in, she said, "Brandi, I almost forgot to tell you. Matt wants to talk to you. He should be in Abby's room."

"Oh, alright. I'll do that now," Brandi decided.

"Bye for now then," Lilian said, going inside to check on Max's condition.

As they went down the hall, Hope finally asked her question. "So you do know where Obelisk is?"

"There's only one place it can be."

Hope hesitated before continuing. "Um… would you mind telling me where?"

Brandi raised an eyebrow at the request. "Why do you want to know? Wouldn't it be better if less people knew?"

"Yes, you're right… forget I asked," Hope hurriedly said, looking away.

_Why did I ask that? I should have no reason to want Obelisk, right? It's too powerful… we have to keep it safe. But for some reason, I feel as though I have to see it for myself… why?_

Brandi halted at Abby's door. "Would you mind waiting with the others? I won't take too long."

"Ok," Hope nodded before leaving.

Brandi waited until she was gone before knocking. Almost instantly, Matt opened the door, stepping outside to meet her.

"Abby's asleep," he said to answer her unasked question. "I just wanted to say that I've been worried lately. These people that Thanatos worked with… they're dangerous. I can't help you much, but maybe this will provide some assistance." He handed her a card.

She looked at the card. "You're sure?"

"Yes. He'll obey you, so use him as you see fit."

"Thanks," Brandi said. "I'm sure there will be a good occasion for him."

"Most likely. That's all I really had to tell you. Please, try to stay as safe as you can."

"Of course," Brandi smiled. "I'll see you later."

She went over to the waiting room, where the others were. Seeing her, they got up instantly.

"Shall we go back?" Hope suggested.

"Right away," Brandi replied.

-----

"So how did it go?" Hime asked as they entered.

"Fell has recovered, Miles is awake, and Max is awake," Draken said as they came in. "Will needs help though, as soon as possible."

"So we will leave instantly," Zack stated as the others got their Envoyant Machines.

"Go with speed," Perseus said. "And good luck. Will is depending on you."

"As are several other people," Hime added.

"Thank you," Hope replied before falling unconscious. The others soon joined her.

-----

Neo was still asleep, so he did not hear the next thing Will said.

"They're coming… please be careful…"

-----

"So, they will soon arrive?" the second inquired.

"Yes," the first replied.

"Shall we greet them?" the second smirked.

"I think now would be as good of a time as any," the first smirked. "We'll see how they fare. Oh, and you, try to keep yourself under control."

"Of course," the third said calmly.

To be continued…


	15. The True Villains

Now things are finally beginning to happen! Hooray!

I also have an important note to make. Remember the visions Will had in chapter twenty-nine of version two? Well, I added and removed a few of them. So I highly advise going back to that chapter and rereading that section so that you aren't confused about later parts of the story!

Tragic1987: Thank you. I hope you enjoy this chapter too.

Demon Fan: You'll have to wait to see what deck he uses. No, he will never have Ruecian as a Deck Master, because Ruecian is not his Soul Monster. Zack didn't get one because he's a cyborg. That means he wouldn't be able to sign up to Teknisk Wereld to get one without suspicion. Not to mention he doesn't really want one. Thanks for the compliment, late Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year to you as well.

John: You two are brothers? Holy cow. I never would have guessed. And what are the names? You'll just have to read and find out.

**Chapter 15: The True Villains**

They appeared inside the forest once more. There were no signs of anyone else, but this did nothing to settle them.

"One of them could come at any minute," Draken warned as they brought out their Soul Monsters. "Be on guard."

"True. But they could also be over the mountains, sea, or in the sky for all we know," Gaston stated. "Caution is good, but let's not get overly tense."

Without further words, they set off. The woods were silent today, which made them even more on the edge.

After about thirty minutes, they had left the forest and were walking towards the lake. But they had barely left when Fell stiffened. Daine sniffed the air and then growled softly. Malon froze, his teeth bared in a silent snarl.

"What's wrong?" Draken asked.

"I heard someone…" Fell responded, turning.

They looked over to see something standing behind them. It was a machine that had a humanoid appearance that stood about five and a half feet tall. Part of it was covered in black armor-like material, while where its skin would be was dark gray. It had no visible weapons, but it didn't need them to look menacing. One thing that made Hope nervous was the fact that it had nothing like eyes. Instead, a black visor of some sort seemed to cover where its eyes would be, if it had any.

"What on earth is that thing?" Draken muttered.

"A machine of some sort?" Brandi said tensely.

It stood there for a few seconds, as though pondering what to do. Then, without any warning, it lunged at the group.

Almost instantly, Zack leapt at it, switchblade out. However, he had not reckoned at how fast the machine would be. It easily avoided the slash and slammed its fist into him, sending him crashing to the ground.

Fell jumped forward with a snarl, ready to tear the machine apart. But before he could even reach it, a black blur collided with him. When the dust cleared, they saw that Fell was being pinned down by another humanoid-like creature. There was no creature that looked like this and could be called a human though. The man wore black clothes, which matched his black hair that was long enough to go to the floor. He had wickedly sharp fingernails, and yellow eyes that betrayed no intelligence; instead, they were those of an insane creature that existed to slaughter. It gave a savage howl, showing sharp white teeth that were more like fangs.

A similar creature with gray hair had Daine pinned as well. Others, with hair colors of black, gray, brown, red, and white, had come as well. Three of them leapt in front of Larka, blocking her. One had seized Malon by the collar, ignoring his yelps. Hope stepped back nervously as three others came for her. Draken was in a situation much like hers. Brandi tried to attack one, but the creature grabbed her arm, halting her. Gaston and Darche had their swords out, but were in a defensive position. Mana did not try to attack either, knowing her magic would not hit the swift beings. Zack tried to rise, but the machine pinned him down as well, blocking his switchblade with one of its well-armored hands.

Then they heard someone laugh. "Alright. You can let them up now; I want them to see who we are."

The machine allowed Zack to stand, but kept a tight grasp over the area where his switchblade had slid into, so that he could not have it emerge again. Fell also stood, but the creature kept his arms forced behind his back. The creature restraining Daine kept a tight hold on his collar, as did the one holding onto Malon. The other creatures spread out a bit, keeping a careful watch on the other group members so that they would not try anything.

They all looked over at where the voice had come from. And they stared in shock.

It wasn't as though they had any suspicions on who the voice had belonged to. However, the last thing they had expected was to see the one that they did. They all recognized him, even Zack, Draken, and Darche, who had not seen the news the night the others had; they had seen him at other times. It seemed impossible, but the man that stood there, flanked by two people in hooded black cloaks, could only be one person.

"Surprised?" Vlad smirked.

Brandi was the first one to respond. "Vlad? What is the meaning of this?!"

"It means exactly what it seems like," Vlad responded. "You've placed your trust in the wrong people, Ms. Driger."

"What do you mean?" Hope asked. She gave Vlad a hard glance, bringing forth his aura. It was black, and spoke of death, and a love of power. He was one who wanted complete control, and enjoyed other people's pain.

"Think it over, Ms. Gales. I happen to run Macina Corp, one of the largest industries in the world. It wasn't hard for me to do what I needed to do to take over the world."

"Take over the world?!" Gaston exclaimed.

"Correct." He began to circle them, pacing slowly. "You should have an idea of how I began this. My first step was to take over Macina Corp. This wasn't very difficult to do. You see, Jason was searching for his two step-children, Max and Brandi, at around this time. But he could not find them. Tell me… why do you think this was? He had control of Macina Corp and its inventions… it should have been easy."

Brandi caught on instantly. "You interfered."

"Exactly. Every time he had nearly found you, I would be one step ahead. And I would get rid of the information he needed." He thought for a moment. "Of course, when the Generals of Hell gave me an offer to join them, I said no. I was already too busy fulfilling my own plans, after all. However, I passed the offer along to Jason. He quickly agreed, and soon he was out of the picture."

"That was the first step… but there is much more to it than that. To take control of the world, I had to start somewhere… so I guess that procedure began with the virus."

"The virus!" Hope gasped. "You made it?!"

"Well… I didn't make it, but I did spread it." He held out his hand, and something landed on it. On his palm was a small object, which looked no bigger than an insect. Actually, when they took a closer look, they realized that it looked exactly like an insect.

"What is that thing?" Mana asked warily.

"A robotic mosquito. You see, this virus, called the Black Snake Sickness, is transferred through blood. So what better way to transfer it than through mosquitoes? Real ones would not be able to spread it quickly enough even if they could. But they can't, due to the fact that the Black Snake Sickness would kill them first. So these robotic ones take care of the job nicely."

"So you have control over a virus that can take out almost all of the population in less than a day… you are such a sick bastard," Draken said in disgust.

"Why thank you. I did think it was quite clever," Vlad smirked. He whispered something, and the robotic mosquito flew away. "But that is just the beginning. You must remember, I also have these new soldiers to assist me. They do not really have names yet… I just call them mechanical soldiers and wolf soldiers."

"Wolf soldiers?!" Larka said in shock, staring at the one next to her. "Then that means…"

"Yes. You and your brother were prototypes for these wolf soldiers," Vlad stated. "But these ones are much more improved. They are stronger, faster, and they are very obedient, unlike the two of you. As for the mechanical soldiers… their prototype was you," he directed to Zack. "What did we call you again? Cyborg #0001? I remember that #0000 did not even operate correctly… you were our first step towards getting the mechanical soldiers to work."

"So you're the one that ordered to have me be a test subject? You're the one responsible for bringing me back to life?" Zack growled.

"That's right. I'm also the one responsible for the deaths of your family, and for sending your own best friend after you. Isn't it infuriating? The one behind all your misery is standing right in front of you, and you can't do a thing to be able to have your revenge."

A horrible screeching sound interrupted his speech. Zack had tried to bring out his switchblade once more, but the mechanical soldier holding onto his arm had prevented the blade from coming out. Although he was still enraged, he gave up trying to bring it out, glaring at the amused man.

"See what I mean? I enjoyed watching you… and even though you were not one we could use as a soldier, at least you still served a purpose."

"What?"

"How do you think we knew where you and your friends were, what they were planning, all these times?" Vlad brought forth a device that resembled a hand-held radio. "When your new body was being built, I implanted a device that allows me to hear anything that you can hear. Even if you are unconscious-which you were, for a long time-I was still able to pick up your friends' conversations."

Zack froze. "So… that means…"

"Basically, it means you were our spy. It's how we knew where to find you, so that Thanatos could attack at certain times, and that we could find you and your friends. A prime example of this would be when Brandi was tortured."

"So you were the help that Thanatos had…" Brandi snarled.

"Yes, we were. I am deeply sorry that you had to be in such agony, but it was part of the deal Thanatos made with us," Vlad sneered, not looking regretful at all.

Zack clenched his hands. "Then all of this was my fault…"

"Oh, you could say that," Vlad shrugged. "We probably would have found these things out anyway, but not nearly as quickly or efficiently as having you be there. So I must thank you for your help."

"Damn it…" Zack muttered, unable to bring himself to look at his companions.

"It made things so much easier, after all…"

"What gives you the right to play god with their lives?!"

Everyone stared at Hope, but she did not notice. She was shaking with fury, glaring at Vlad. The cloaked person to Vlad's right shifted slightly. The person to the left turned their head towards the other, and the other one stopped.

"You used Thanatos, meaning that you were controlling Max. You tortured Fell and Larka for most of their lives. You also took over Zack's life! You killed countless people with your virus… and you sacrificed other innocents just to get your superior soldiers! You have no right…" she spat.

Vlad's response was to laugh once again. "I don't have any right to do that, do I? So I gave myself the right to do it. After all, once I am in control of the world, I will have the right to do whatever the hell I want to. And nobody, I repeat, nobody will be able to do a thing about it." He looked over at the two cloaked people. "Of course, I wouldn't have been able to do it alone. I think you'll recognize my two helpers here… they're old friends of yours."

The one to his left stepped up, removing his cloak. Malon let out a strangled yelp while Daine snarled viciously. Larka was paralyzed, while Fell's normally expressionless eyes shone with hatred.

"It's impossible…" Larka whispered.

"Viken," Fell growled. "So you're still alive."

"That's right," the scientist sneered. "You seem quite thrilled to see me."

"But how? You died; we saw Fell kill you," Zack stated, his guilt pushed aside by this astonishing new development.

"It was quite interesting. I did indeed get injected with the poison, but all it did was put me in a death-like state for a few hours," Viken shrugged. "I have tested several different things on my body… chemicals and the like. They probably had something to do with the poison not affecting me fatally. Well, the condition of the duel was that if I lost, I was injected, right? So I technically didn't break the rules."

"That explains how Vlad was able to make these wolf soldiers…" Draken realized, looking at the one by him warily.

"Correct. I also took part in a few tests with seeing how to pass around the Black Snake Sickness," Viken stated. "Although our boss was the one who had the idea to use robotic mosquitoes… an excellent idea indeed." He looked over at Fell. "Listening to you was rather entertaining. I found it amusing that you finally seem to have some sort of a heart. The outside world certainly has changed you and your sister… it is a pity I will probably not have the chance to run any more tests on the two of you…"

Larka suddenly felt the pain in her palms. She looked at her hands and was surprised to see that her palms were bleeding. In her astonishment, anger, and fear, she had not felt her claw-like fingernails digging into her skin.

"But I can't take all of the credit, can I?" Viken looked over at the other cloaked figure, who stepped up. "I think you in particular will be happy to see this person once more, Hope."

The other one removed the cloak. Hope froze, her heart feeling as though it had stopped.

"Good lord…" she whispered.

"Is that all you have to say to me?" Malady smirked. "After all we've been through?"

Nobody responded as they stared at her in shock. While Viken had his normal lab coat on, Malady was wearing a different pair of clothes. She had black pants and a black t-shirt, revealing her arms. And coiled around them were black snake tattoos. They also went up to her neck, the head of the snake showing on her left cheek.

"How can this be?" Draken said in astonishment. "I can see Viken living, but you? Your Soul Monster was burned away, and we saw you fall…"

"But you never found a corpse," Malady stated. "Here is how I survived. I had used Black Snake Sickness in several duels, many in which it almost killed me. My body began to build up its immunity system to the virus. When it should have killed me, my immunity system managed to halt it. It still pains me relentlessly, but I am alive." Her green eyes began to glow a slight red. "And I will have my revenge… on the one who did this…"

Vlad glanced at her. "Viken, get her to calm down. We don't have the time to deal with her insanity."

Viken brought out a syringe, and before the others in the group could guess what he was about to do, he stabbed Malady in the arm, injecting the fluid into her. After a few seconds passed, the red tinge in her eyes faded away.

"Another annoying side effect," she said to the watchers calmly. "The virus can also cause me to go a bit… crazy, at times. This is especially true when I feel deep emotions. But Viken made a medication of sorts, to help me keep my head. Very useful, I must admit." She paused to see their reaction to this. When they remained silent, she went on. "I did not mind giving our boss all of the infected blood he needed from me. It comes with many benefits, after all… one being that I will most likely have another chance to slay you, Hope."

Hope, still stunned by what was happening, brought up Malady's aura. She let it fall almost instantly; it was filled with so much hate that she could barely stand to look at it. She turned to Viken. His was much milder; he desired revenge on Fell and Larka, but at the moment, he was more curious as to what would occur next. To him, everything was an experiment.

Letting his drop as well, she looked at the wolf soldier next to her. To her surprise, the result was much like when she had tried to see Masque's; there were no hints of an aura at all.

_So their souls are already gone…_ Hope thought sadly. _They're beyond saving._

Just to make sure her theory with the mechanical soldier was correct, she tried bringing up its aura as well. Once more, nothing came up, but that wasn't really a shocker.

"That's pretty much all that I have to reveal," Vlad stated. "In a time period of exactly twenty-four hours, I will have taken over the world. That is how long you have to surrender to me; just twenty-four hours." He brought out another device, which looked like a small remote controller. "Of course, you cannot stop me. Any plans you make I will overhear through the cyborg. As you can see, he's more of an enemy to you than a friend…" He pressed a button on the controller, and made a gesture. The mechanical soldier let go of Zack's arm, and the wolf soldiers released Fell. Unsure whether to attack or to wait and see what would happen, Fell kept his wary gaze on Vlad.

Zack, on the other hand, brought out his switchblade instantly. But then he turned to Fell.

He barely had the time to shout a warning. "Fell! Get back!"

Without thinking, Fell jumped to the side as Zack landed where he had been, his switchblade slashing empty air. However, Fell was still not ready for an assault from his companion. Zack lunged for him again before he had the time to register that he was coming. In less than a second, Fell once more found himself on the ground, this time stomach first, with his hands secured by Zack's free right hand and with the switchblade pressed against his neck. Turning his head carefully, he managed to look up at the cyborg. Zack's eyes betrayed that this was something he had no desire to do, but that he had no control over it.

"It's an emergency override code," Vlad explained to the horrified viewers. "So, as you can see, you are basically helpless…"

That was when Larka snapped. Before he could continue, she suddenly leapt away from the wolf soldiers nearby her. But she ignored Zack and Fell, going straight for the cause of the problem-Vlad himself.

He seemed surprised; however, he did not seem concerned. He simply made another gesture.

When Larka was just a few feet away from him, something sent her crashing into the ground. It turned out to be yet another creature's fist that had halted her. However, this one looked even more threatening than the mechanical and wolf soldiers. It looked like a machine as well, but was much taller than the mechanical soldier; it looked to be about seven feet tall. Its bottom half was a light blue, while its more bulky, armor-like top half was darker. It stood upright, like a human would, but that was where any resemblances ended. Its hands had three gold razor-sharp claws, and it had a spike coming from each of its kneecaps and its shoulders that were dull silver. Its eyes, if it had any, were concealed by a visor as well.

"You must realize that I am unlike those other idiots you have met that didn't have Soul Monsters," Vlad smirked. "Meet Grendel. He's a Metal Devilzoa, who will do anything I ask of him. He is, of course, much stronger than any of your Soul Monsters could hope to be."

That gave Brandi an idea. She began to pull out a card from her pocket, but was interrupted by Vlad.

"Do not attempt whatever you are trying to do, Ms. Driger. You forget that both of your specimen friends are at my mercy."

At these words, Fell felt the switchblade lightly cut into his skin. A small trickle of blood ran down his neck.

The last time he had been at the mercy of another had been when he had been in Viken's lab, where he had first learned to hate this feeling of complete helplessness. It was something he despised more than anything else; being powerless to do anything because of his weakness…

He did not have much time to think about that, for Larka was faring far worse than him. She tried to rise, but Grendel had other plans. The machine moved surprisingly fast for its size. It brought its foot down onto her before she could get up.

Hope didn't know what was worse to hear; her scream of pain or the harsh snap that rang through the area, telling them that her back was broken. Fell snarled, and tried to get out of Zack's grasp once more. The cyborg's grip had not faltered though, even though Vlad seemed more interested in watching Grendel crush Larka to death than the two of them.

Viken watched the scene with amusement. "You know, I would have preferred to have my original specimens back in good health. At this rate, you'll kill her."

"I wouldn't worry about that," Vlad stated. "Grendel is rather careful at how he attacks. She'll probably be crippled for life, with a broken spine like that, but nothing more."

"That doesn't exactly make me feel better," Viken pointed out.

"Why do you still care about them anyway? You have so many other specimens to test on now."

"True. But these ones in particular intrigue me. If I have the chance to obtain them once more, I will take it."

Vlad shrugged. "If that's what you want." Then he raised his voice over Larka's cries. "Grendel, you can stop now!"

Grendel instantly went over to Vlad, hissing at the group.

"Remember, you have twenty-four hours to surrender," Vlad told them. "If you do choose to, you will get to live… although Malady will want to have a 'talk' with you most likely, Hope. Viken will indeed want his two specimens back, and I would be most curious to look into the cyborg's structure for a last time. But at least you won't die." He sneered. "If you don't surrender… I believe you can draw your own conclusion. So, until that time." He made another gesture to the mechanical soldier and the wolf soldiers. They instantly left the group, running over to the forest. The ones restraining Brandi, Malon, and Daine released them as well before following. Viken and Malady went as well, after Malady gave Hope a last hate-filled glance.

Vlad began to go too, before turning to Fell and Zack. "Oh, I almost forgot that you were still under my control. That would probably not be a position you'd want to remain in until we next meet, hm?" He pressed a button on the controller, and Zack instantly let go of Fell, jumping back to let him stand up. "Enjoy your last day of freedom while you can," Vlad said as a farewell before heading into the forest, Grendel following.

They ignored him, watching Fell as he ran over to Larka. They went over as well, but stayed at a slight distance so that Larka would not feel crowded.

Larka looked up at her brother, eyes shining with tears of pain. "Fell… I... I think I'm going to die… I can't endure this much pain without dying… I don't see any… any way I can…"

Malon whimpered quietly as Daine closed his eyes.

Fell just stared at his sister, unable to accept what he was hearing.

Brandi looked over at Mana. Her Soul Monster nodded, and Brandi went over to them.

Seeing that everyone was watching her curiously, she explained. "I know of a way to help Larka recover. If you all can just wait here, we'll be back sometime soon. Please trust me-it's the only way to save her."

Zack was the first to respond. "Do what you must. We have no other choice."

"I agree," Hope said, and Draken nodded.

Fell still did not move at first. Then he suddenly leapt up, running towards the forest.

"Fell! Where are you going?!" Hope called. But he did not give any sign of hearing her.

"I hope he isn't thinking of pursuing Vlad…" Gaston muttered.

"I doubt it," Zack responded. "Let me go after him. Brandi, you should help Larka now. Hope and Draken, please wait here for us to return." With that being said, he ran after Fell.

"You're not going?" Gaston asked Daine.

"No. This is a matter that I will leave to Zack. I think he can help him more than I could."

"I see," Gaston responded.

They turned back to see Brandi lift Larka gently. Even though she was being as careful as possible, Larka still yelped in pain. Malon whined, and then went over to Brandi.

Mana confronted the puppy. "Sorry Malon, but you can't come with us."

Malon blinked at her, and then snarled.

"I told you I'm sorry… yikes!" She leapt back as Malon tried to bite her leg. "I knew he'd be upset, but this much? Daine, a little help would be great!"

Daine barked fiercely at Malon, who shrank down, whimpering. Then he went over and pressed the puppy down with his huge paw before looking over at Mana. "I will take care of him. Please help her."

"Of course," Brandi said, walking towards another section of the forest. Mana came after her.

Hope sat down with a sigh. "It's too much to take in at once…"

"Yeah," Draken agreed, joining her. Gaston, Darche, Daine, and Malon came over as well. "I'm having a hard time believing it. But this is a huge problem. We're helpless… any plans we make they'll overhear, because we'll have to tell Zack eventually. If we tell him to stay out of hearing range, then they'll know we're planning something. So what can we do?"

Hope glanced around. "While Zack is gone, we'll decide. We'll figure out a way to tell him later… somehow…"

"Alright," Draken agreed. "So, any bright ideas?"

-----

Fell continued to run deeper into the forest, trying yet failing to outrun the feeling clawing at him. He finally leapt up into a tree, climbing up as far as he could. He stopped when he was a few limbs away from the top, and sat on one of the firmest ones he could find, digging his fingernails into the bark of the limb.

Zack had followed as best as he could, even though it was difficult since Fell was much faster than he was. At long last, he heard him climb up a tree. Zack came over to the one he had heard the noise from, and gazed up into the leaves.

"Fell! Can you come down for a minute?"

He received no response.

"I need to talk to you, but I can't while you're up there!"

Still, Fell did not say anything.

"Fine… I guess I'll have to go after you," Zack muttered, pressing one of the buttons on his left wrist. Since he knew he would never be able to climb up the tree on his own, he was resorting to the device that allowed him to hover for a short amount of time.

He leapt, going straight up until he landed on a branch near the top that could support him. For a few moments, he just sat in silence; it wouldn't take long to get his energy back, but it was taxing for a few minutes.

Then he looked over at the limb next to him, where Fell was. He was tense, as though he was considering whether he wanted to run away once more or to stay.

"Please stay here," Zack requested. "I must speak with you, and I won't be able to keep up with you for much longer if you run off again."

Fell hesitated, and then leaned against the tree trunk, eyes closed.

Although Zack was relieved that they were getting somewhere, he did not rush it. Instead, he took a handful of the leaves from the tree, cleaning his switchblade of the small amount of blood it had been stained with. "I'm sorry that I injured you. I tried to resist Vlad's commands, but it was no use… my body was completely controlled by him."

Fell absentmindedly felt the back of his neck, bringing forth a hand with a bit of blood on it. The cut had not been deep at all, and the bleeding had already stopped.

Zack let the leaves go, watching them drift back to the ground. "You can't run away from your emotions. I know that better than anyone, because I've been trying to do that for a very long time. You'll have to face them eventually. You might as well do it now, while you have the chance."

Fell considered his words, before drawing out his Soul Card and looking at it. "…The only thing that stands between me and becoming an insane monster is this card. I wonder if that would be the most painless alternative for me..."

"You wouldn't do that," Zack responded. "For one thing, you would be killing Daine. Also, you would kill innocents until you died. That is not something you could bring yourself to do."

Fell gave the Soul Card a last glance before returning it to his pocket, and closing his eyes once more.

Zack continued speaking, still gazing at the forest. "You never talk about your emotions, but I know that much at least. I know how it is, when you want to hide your feelings. I've done that as well. But you can't do that forever. You have to realize that these feelings will not go away, and the best way to deal with them is to talk about them. So tell me… what is plaguing you now?"

Fell thought over this for a minute. He knew that this whole conversation was probably being overheard by Vlad, Viken, and Malady, but at the moment he could have cared less. So he finally decided to speak.

"For most of my life, Larka is all I have had. I would not have been able to go on without her. Any part of my soul that I still have, any light that I possess, comes from her. But when she was being tortured, I was helpless to stop it… hearing her cries were much more painful than anything Viken could do to me. When we finally had a chance to escape, I was still not able to prevent her from being hurt. If we had not been found by Hope, then we probably would have been captured again… and now, she could die, while I could do nothing once more. I despise that feeling… of wanting to be able to do something, but being powerless…"

Zack listened to him silently. When Fell did not say anything else, he began to speak. "I can see why you love your sister. She is… pure is the only word I can think of to describe it. It is very rare to find someone as pure as she is. After being experimented on for as long as she has been, it's even more amazing… as for being helpless… you aren't the only one who has had to go through that. I think, in one way or another, we have all had to do that. I can name several occasions I have, along with our companions."

Fell turned his gaze to the ground again. "That is another thing. I am still not used to knowing anyone besides my sister. Who can I trust? Is it even possible for me to trust anyone? My sister usually can tell who she can trust, but I am suspicious of everyone… I think they will end up hurting me eventually, which makes me want to be alone."

"Pain…" Zack looked at the one leaf he had held onto, which was still stained by blood. Then he let it go as well. "It is something that we will all feel, one way or another. It's an emotion we have to experience. One of the reasons we can call ourselves human is because of feelings we have and acknowledge. Pain is one, but there is also joy, sorrow, guilt, regret, hope, love, and others… some of them we never want to experience, but others we wish to keep all the time. But we have to deal with all of them. I think that is why we can truthfully say we have a soul; because of the emotions we have." He turned to Fell. "And you don't want to lose yours, do you? That means you will have to quit hiding from your emotions and learn to accept them."

"…You say that as though it is an easy thing to do," Fell stated.

"If it was easy, people like your sister would not be as rare as they are," Zack said. "It will take time. But you have the time to learn it, do you not?"

"…Yes."

"You've already made the first few steps in that direction. You are learning to trust us, aren't you? I doubt you would tell me all that you just did if you didn't have some sort of trust in me… so you probably trust the others as well, right?"

"…Perhaps."

"Well, think over it." Zack got up, pressing the button on his wrist once more. "We should get back to the others. Maybe Larka and Brandi will be back soon." Then he leapt off of the tree branch.

Fell remained in his position for a few more moments, to consider what Zack had said, before leaping off after him.

-----

Larka could barely manage to stay conscious. Her chest hurt terribly, but her back was far worse. Every step Brandi took was another flare of unbearable agony for her. She kept her eyes closed throughout the whole trip, but tears of pain still dropped.

"It's alright… we're nearly there…" Brandi whispered to her as she and Mana walked down the tunnel they had gone to.

Larka's only response to this was a soft whimper.

Finally, they had reached the end of the tunnel. Brandi leapt out of it, landing on the grass carefully. Then she went towards the middle of the island.

When reaching the Elemental Spring, Brandi went to the edge of it. Then she threw Larka into it.

Larka had not even realized where they were; the fiery pain had consumed her. But now that relentless agony was fading away, until nothing remained. Hardly daring to hope, Larka opened her eyes.

Even though her first sight was the clear water, she did not panic. She could instinctively feel that this was one of the safest locations she could be in, and that drowning was certainly a worry she did not need to have. So she just lay there, relaxing as the water healed her.

Brandi waited by the side of the spring, Mana next to her. Coming here had reminded Brandi of something important that she had forgotten to ask.

"Mana? Did you hide Obelisk here?"

Mana's eyes widened. "Oh no! I completely forgot to tell you that!"

"Big surprise," Brandi muttered.

"How did you know that it was here?"

"Max said that he wanted you to hide it in a location where only I would look. This was the only place that came to my mind."

"Well, he was right." She led Brandi over to a rock. Behind it was a small wooden box. Brandi carefully opened it, revealing Obelisk.

"It's the best hiding place we could have," Brandi stated, closing the box and putting it back into its original location. "At least the enemy won't get their hands on it."

"What about Katrina? What if she finds it?" Mana questioned.

"Even if she does, I don't think she will do anything with it," Brandi replied. "She just doesn't seem like the type who would steal it, you know? Besides, she'll probably assume it's ours."

"Yeah, you're right," Mana agreed.

Brandi seemed to be thinking about something. "Mana, could you go back to the others and tell them that Larka and I will be back in a few minutes?"

"Ok," Mana said, and then walked away as Brandi went back to the edge of the spring.

Larka felt the last traces of pain vanish. She could not recall the last time she had ever been at this much peace, but she knew the moment could not last. They only had a day to find a way to stop Vlad, so she could not hold up the others.

But she could at least remain a little bit longer, right? Deciding she would just examine the bottom of the spring before leaving, she swam down.

As she went, she caught sight of something at the base of the wall. Curious, she went closer to it.

She stopped and stared, amazed at the sight. It was a section of the wall that was not rock, but actually clear crystal. Inside of that crystal was a woman. She laid there, eyes closed and arms crossing over her chest. But even though the crystal was clear, it was hard to see the figure inside. The light reflections from the water made it impossible to make out any features of the woman.

Larka lightly touched the crystal._ Who are you?_

Of course, she did not get a response. But even though the woman would not have done anything but remained where she was, Larka felt reluctant to leave.

Reminding herself that the others were waiting, she finally forced herself to take her hand away from it. _Maybe I can come again someday… and maybe I will get to meet you…_

She finally emerged from the spring, shaking her hair out of her eyes.

"Brandi? Where are you?" she called.

"Over here."

Larka swam to where Brandi was, getting out of the spring to join her.

"This is just amazing! When did you discover this place?"

"The first day Mana and I came here. Mana got injured by a Cave Dragon, but this spring healed her. Ever since that day, we've considered it a secret place of sorts." Brandi looked into the water. "I've never shown it to anyone else, until now."

"I'm honored," Larka replied. "And I'm very grateful. That pain… I was sure I would die. Thank you for saving me."

"Thanks for being my friend," Brandi responded.

Larka gave her a confused glance. "Huh? Why would you say that?"

"Well… when I was younger, nobody ever acknowledged me. They only saw me as Max's sister, never thinking that I was a unique person with their own feelings. Besides my family, the only person to ever recognize me as a person was Matt… but you never saw me like that. You actually talked to me, and have tried to help me. That's more than most people have ever done for me… so thanks."

"You're welcome… I'm glad you see me as a friend," Larka smiled. "I never had any friends when I was younger. Fell and I never made any before we were taken. And after that… well, you and the rest of the group have been enough to make up for the sixteen years I lost. To be able to talk with others… and to help them… and to have them help me… to even be trusted is something I have wished for. I'm really happy that I finally had it granted."

"Then I'm happy for you," Brandi said, standing up. Larka got up as well, giving the spring a last glance.

"Can we come back sometime?" she requested.

"I don't see why not," Brandi replied. "But remember not to tell anyone of this place, alright?"

"I wasn't about to," Larka assured.

It was when they were in the tunnel that Larka decided to ask her two questions. "Where did Mana go?"

"She went back to the others."

"I see." Then she asked what had been on her mind. "Who was that woman?"

"Huh? What woman?" Brandi asked.

"The one in the spring."

Brandi shook her head. "Sorry, but you've lost me. Can you explain whatever you're saying later? We need to focus on stopping Vlad at the moment."

"Yeah, you're right," Larka agreed. Although she was still puzzled by what she had seen, she pushed it aside for the moment.

-----

Amy picked up her phone and quickly dialed a number.

"Hello?"

"Ms. Gales?"

"Oh, hi Amy! Did you want to talk with Hope?"

"Yes. Is she around?"

"Actually, she left for South Carolina a few days ago. Her friend was ill again. Do you want me to take a message?"

"Hm… no, that's ok. Thanks anyway. I'll try again later."

"Alright. Talk to you soon."

"Bye."

Amy hung up, thinking over the situation.

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked. She had been sitting on the couch, watching her friend.

Amy sat down next to her. "Hope's in South Carolina again. Last time this happened, she was almost killed by the Generals of Hell…"

"So you're worried about her? Well, you have a good reason to be, at least."

"Yeah…" Amy thought it over for a few more minutes before making a decision. "Alright. I think we should look into this."

"My thoughts exactly," Sakura grinned.

To be continued…


	16. Finding the Foes

Happy New Year everyone!

John: It's nice to know that at least someone was surprised! Yay for plot twists.

Captain Obvious: Thanks. I'm pretty sure you'll find the changes to be interesting ones.

Demon Fan: Glad you think so; I agree.

**Chapter 16: Finding the Foes**

"This has got to be the craziest plan that we've ever made," Draken stated as Hope finished writing down something in a notebook. She had disconnected from Teknisk Wereld in order to retrieve the black notebook and a pen from her backpack. She always carried a notebook and pencil around so that she could practice drawing, and sometimes writing. But in this case, a pen was a better writing utensil; the last thing they needed was to run out of lead.

"You're forgetting Miles' idea about how to defeat the officials with kitchenware," Hope pointed out.

"Yeah, that's true… oh well. This is still pretty crazy. But it's going to be fun to try to pull off!" Draken grinned.

"We can only hope it works…" Gaston sighed.

Malon suddenly leapt up and began barking excitedly. They looked over to where he was gazing and saw Zack and Fell approaching.

"There you guys are," Hope greeted them. She looked over at Fell. "Are you alright?"

Fell shrugged.

"Well, we've decided what we're going to do next," Hope told them. "When Larka, Brandi, and Mana get back, we'll explain."

"…Should I leave?" Zack suggested, looking uneasy.

"No, it's alright," Draken assured. "It won't matter if they overhear us or not."

"You're already decided what we're going to do? Without consulting us first?"

They looked over to see Mana coming over to them.

"Don't worry, I think you'll agree with our decision," Darche told her. "Where are Brandi and Larka?"

"They'll be here shortly."

They waited in silence for their two companions to arrive. At long last, Malon jumped up and tore over to the approaching figures, barking excitedly as he leapt into Larka's arms.

"Hey, stop it! It's alright, I'm fine, you can quit licking me now…" Larka laughed as she pried Malon away and put him back down on the ground, where he ran around her.

"How do you feel?" Daine asked her.

"As though I had never been injured. I'm completely healed; Brandi's idea worked perfectly." She looked away. "I overreacted by trying to attack Vlad. I could have gotten all of you hurt as well for my rashness… I'm sorry about that."

"It's alright," Hope responded. "You're fine now, and we're fine as well."

"Yeah…" She went over to Fell. "Are you injured?"

"…No." He paused, and then continued. "I'm relieved… to see that you are alive…"

Larka looked surprised at first, and then smiled. "Thanks. I'm glad you're ok. I was worried for both you and Zack…"

"Wow. It looks like Fell finally got a heart somewhere," Draken commented. "I wonder how long that will last."

"We really don't have time for any arguments," Hope told him.

"Yeah… sorry."

"I must apologize as well," Zack said to them. "I had no idea that I was letting them overhear everything we said… if I had, I would have left a long time ago. I'm more of a danger to all of you than anything. I was completely unable to resist that override code… if Vlad activates that again, who knows what will happen? So I think that I should leave…"

"No, you shouldn't," Larka told him. "We need all the help we can get. More importantly, you're our friend. After all we've been through together, how can we just tell you to leave?"

"Larka's right," Hope agreed before Zack could respond. "We won't have you leave just because of a few set backs."

"Besides, with our plan, it won't matter if you're here," Draken stated.

"What is this plan of yours?" Brandi inquired.

"Well… we've decided that we're going to surrender," Draken explained.

"What?!" Larka exclaimed. Brandi and Mana stared at him in disbelief while Fell's body went tense. Zack seemed startled, but did not say anything.

"Wait a minute… that isn't what we decided!" Hope protested as she opened the notebook, putting it in front of her companions before turning to Draken. "You agreed that we would try to find a way to take out Vlad!"

"I did not! Look at the facts Hope. He'll be able to track us no matter what. If we try anything, Vlad will take us down! I don't like it any better than you do… I don't want you to have to face Malady, or Fell and Larka to face Viken, or Zack to have to be with Vlad… but we have no choice!"

While they continued arguing, Larka carefully opened the notebook. When the others saw the writing on it, they went next to the notebook to read it.

_This is from Hope, although Draken, Darche, Gaston, and Daine helped plan this. Malon knows what is going on too._

_Although the fact that they can overhear us is a serious disadvantage, I found a flaw in their technology. They can't see through Zack's eyes, so we can pass messages through writing!_

_We decided to try and confuse them with arguments about what we will do while you're reading this. Please be quick, because I don't know how long we'll be able to keep a convincible act up._

_We'll pretend to want to think it over while resting, and spend about ten minutes in one area, completely silent, and hope that they believe this. At around this time, we'll begin searching for them, but we cannot speak at all, or else they'll catch on. It might seem a bit extreme, but this is the only way we could see to get around the device inside Zack._

_For communication purposes, we'll have to pass notes. If anyone wants to write down something, I'll be carrying the notebook and pen._

_We're going to start in the forest, since that is where they left. It's not the best lead we have, but we'll have to hope for the best. Draken will lead the way._

_If anyone has any better ideas, write them down now. Otherwise, we'll go with this one._

Larka glanced at everyone else, offering the pen to them. Nobody responded, so she shut the notebook softly and put the pen in the spiral of it. Then she went over to Hope, who was currently ranting at Draken once more.

"It will be worse than death for them if we surrender! They've been tortured for ten years, ten! You have no idea how it would be to have to go back to that!" Hope shouted, taking the notebook from Larka and casting a quick glance at it. When she saw nothing was written, she nodded to Draken.

He grinned before responding. "No, I don't! But I do know that I for one do not want to die! I doubt you do either!"

"I won't back down on this issue!" Hope snarled.

"Fine! I'm tired of arguing about this. Let's have a vote," Draken growled.

"This is a serious issue. Why don't we rest for a while, so that we can consider while we do so?" Larka suggested.

"Yeah, let's do that," Mana agreed.

"Oh all right!" Draken snapped, sitting down on the ground. The others did as well, except for Hope, who went over to Draken and showed him her new message.

_I think you overdid your act as a heartless guy._

He quietly wrote a response.

_Ah, shut up._

They waited for about ten minutes, as planned. At last Draken got up, which was a signal for the others to follow. They quietly walked towards the forest, making no noise with their footsteps.

-----

The trip through the forest was completely silent. There were no wild monsters around, much to everyone's relief. So as long as they remained quiet, they thought that they might be able to pull it off…

They continued on, passing through the forest and clearings. But it was in one certain clearing that they stepped in where it all fell apart.

Hope had been mainly keeping her eyes on the ground so she could avoid stepping on anything that would cause a noise that would make their enemies suspicious, and so that she would not trip over anything. As they stepped into a new clearing, she was still looking at the ground. That was how she saw the white design that appeared on the ground that looked much like a spider's web.

The rest of the group saw it at almost exactly the same moment she did. But before they could react, a huge explosion sent them flying, all of them instantly falling unconscious.

-----

Hope slowly opened her eyes, gazing at her surroundings.

They were still in the forest, but in a different location than they had been in before. This clearing was much bigger, but the reason for this was soon clear when Hope looked to her side.

She was attached to what appeared to be a gigantic spider web. Her limbs were stuck to the strands of it, making her Duel Disk completely useless. That meant that using support cards was basically impossible.

Fighting down the panic that she was starting to feel, she examined the other areas of the web more closely. Her other companions were attached to it too, as were the Soul Monsters. They were starting to come around as well.

Gaston gave the web a look of disgust. "Looks like the game is up."

"So they had a rear guard in case we'd somehow get past their other defenses?" Zack assumed, glancing over at his left arm. The area where his switchblade normally came out of was blocked by the webbing, which meant that his arm was in a very uncomfortable position.

"It appears so," Brandi responded.

"They did a good job," Draken commented. "We're stuck-pun intended."

Darche sighed. "I can't reach my sword… what about you, Gaston?"

"Whoever got us wasn't careless," Gaston replied. "I can't either."

Mana glanced down at her own weapon. "My staff isn't about to be able to be moved… so I can't do anything."

Daine looked over at the strand next to him. "I cannot even reach a part of the web to try to bite through. I am afraid that we are completely trapped this time."

Malon gave a fretful howl at his words.

"Talk about a sticky situation," Draken said.

Larka looked at the web worriedly. "So does that mean we will die here?"

"It's possible," Brandi said grimly. "Unless anyone has any ideas on how to get out of here?"

"Without support cards or our Soul Monsters' weapons, I don't see any way it can be done," Hope replied slowly. "But there has to be a way… are we overlooking anything?"

"Not that I can tell," Draken called over to her. "This is an irritating position to be trapped in… it's really beginning to bug me."

"Would you stop using those corny puns?" Mana said in exasperation. "This is a life or death issue!"

"What I want to know is who our captor is," Gaston stated.

Fell looked into the woods. "…He is over there."

They all turned their gazes to the man as he stepped out. Zack, Draken, and Darche did not recognize the armor he wore, but the others did; it was exactly the same as Thanatos'. He had dark brown hair and very pale green eyes, which observed the trapped group with much interest.

"So you are the troublemakers she warned me about," he said as a greeting.

"She? Who do you mean by that?" Brandi demanded.

"Well, she is my boss, but you would know her as Malady."

"You're a subordinate of Malady's?" Gaston asked.

"That's right. I'm one of her most trusted subordinates, as a matter of fact. I'm one of her two main guards. Actually, you could say I'm her only guard now-the other one was killed by Thanatos."

"Thanatos!" Larka exclaimed. "So you've met him?"

"I did not talk with him, but I was there when Thanatos met Malady. She gave him a syringe of her blood, with the Black Snake Sickness inside it, and a new Duel Disk."

"The syringe he used on Will…" Hope whispered, horrified.

Darche had made a conclusion as well. "You say Thanatos killed another guard? Did he wear the same armor as you?"

"Yes. How is that important?"

"That explains where Thanatos got his new outfit…" Brandi muttered.

"I would say you have more important things to worry about at this moment," the guard stated. "Malady was sure you would pursue them, so I was to remain here to stop you."

"So you were the one who… activated that thing? What was it?" Mana asked.

"A Landmine Spider," the guard explained. "You walked right into a trap. Now, you have one last chance to surrender. It is a little bit ahead of schedule, but we can deal with that."

"I guess the forest was not the best place to begin looking," Hope sighed.

"Actually, seeing as we ran into one of their guards, I would say we are in exactly the right area," Gaston responded.

"Not really," the guard disagreed. "You're actually on the wrong piece of land."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Hope asked.

Zack caught on instantly though. "They're on one of the islands… I would guess the one with the volcano."

"Good guess," the guard said. "You're correct; that is where their headquarters are located."

"I don't understand. Why would they want to be next to a volcano?" Larka inquired.

"It's a source of geothermal power for them," Zack explained. "They can get all the power they need for no cost, so it's a reasonable location."

"That's great," Draken said in disgust. "We now know where to go, but we have no chance of getting there."

"Exactly," the guard smirked. "Now… make your decision. Will you surrender? Or will you accept death?"

He took out a green whistle from around his neck and blew into it. The high-pitched sound pierced through them, but that was the least of their concerns.

From the top of the web appeared a huge monster that resembled a spider with a human face. She was at least two times bigger than any of them, and she did not look the slightest bit friendly.

"Well, I'd say we're screwed," Draken commented.

The guard stopped blowing into the whistle. "You may either submit, or be this Insect Queen's dinner. She is quite hungry, after all, and she's more than willing to consume all of you. It is your choice."

"She'd eat someone made mainly out of metal, such as Zack? How desperate is this freak when it comes to eating?" Draken muttered.

Hope looked over at the Insect Queen nervously, but did not back down. "Death is certainly not something we'd want to face, but we can't just surrender!"

"Fine," the guard shrugged. "I expected that." Then he blew another high note into what they now recognized as a Jade Whistle. The Insect Queen began to slowly come towards the one nearest to her, which happened to be Draken.

"Why can't we have a third option?" he complained. "Geez… if I get out of this, I am never surfing a website ever again."

"You're about to be eaten, and all you can think about are more dumb jokes?!" Brandi said in exasperation.

"This is my way of dealing with my panic!" he retorted. "And believe me, I am indeed about to panic!"

Suddenly, a yellow net-like electric barrier appeared around the trapped group. The guard's eyes widened, and he hastily changed the note he was playing into such a high-pitched note that Malon howled in pain. The Insect Queen halted instantly, hissing at the barrier.

The guard took the whistle away from his mouth. "An interference?"

"You could say that," was the response.

The two of them came out of the trees, and everyone in the group instantly recognized them.

"Amy?" Hope said in disbelief.

"Right on the first try!" her sister responded.

"Great timing," Draken said, looking over at the infuriated Insect Queen.

"How did you find us?" Gaston questioned.

"I tried to call Hope, but her mom said she was in South Carolina again," Amy explained. "I was concerned, so I decided to try to find her, along with you guys, in Teknisk Wereld. That idiot gave away your location with his whistle."

The guard seemed very annoyed. "You just happened to have an Insect Barrier?"

"I hate bugs," Amy replied. "Yeah, I despise them. So I always carry around a few Insect Barriers."

"Believe me, they've come in handy more than once," Sakura commented. She had summoned her staff to her hand and was ready to attack if necessary.

"I assume you will not lower the barrier," the guard said.

"No chance," Amy responded.

"Then I suppose we will have to have a duel to settle this," the guard decided.

"Fine by me." Amy let down the Insect Barrier, seeing that the Insect Queen would not try to kill them until the duel was over. "What are the stakes?"

The guard considered. "If I win, then the Insect Queen has the privilege to devour all of them, along with the two of you. You win, and I will be her next meal, along with my Soul Monster."

"That's disgusting," Mana muttered.

Amy winced. "Um… I have a request for your condition on losing. Have it so that she eats you two somewhere far away from us, alright?"

"If you want," the guard smirked. "It doesn't matter, seeing as I will win."

He took out his Soul Card, and a huge blue beetle emerged. It stood on two of its legs, and its other two grasped a huge javelin with a red pole and a gold top. It had small red eyes that fixed on what it thought to be its prey, and its pinchers that could easily chop off another's head clashed together menacingly.

"This is Spear, a Javelin Beetle. And my name is Scrab. Yours?"

"My Soul Monster is Sakura, a Big Bangirl. And I'm Amy." She glanced at the Insect Queen. "Let's get this over with, so I don't have to watch that ugly creature up there any longer than necessary!"

"Amen to that!" Draken agreed. "I'm the one that has to be stuck next to it while you two are dueling!"

"That's what you get for all your cheesy puns," Mana joked.

"Be quiet you."

Amy: 8000

Scrab: 8000

"I'll go first, since you challenged me," Amy declared. "I lay one monster in defense mode and two cards face down. That's it."

"Alright. I lay a monster as well, and end my turn at that."

Amy looked over the cards in her hand. "This should be fun. I sacrifice UFO Turtle (1400/1200) to summon Fallen Angel: Mari. (1700/1200)"

Scrab raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't seem strong enough to sacrifice a monster for."

"You'll see why I use her soon enough. She attacks your defense monster!"

"You have destroyed my Skull-Face Ladybug. (500/1500) When this monster goes to the Cemetery, I gain 1000 Life Points."

"Afraid not!" Amy grinned. "I activate my trap card, Drug Reaction! Whenever you would normally gain Life Points, you lose them instead. So you've just lost 1000 Life Points."

Amy: 8000

Scrab: 7000

"Damn it…" Scrab growled.

"I'll end my turn at that," Amy stated.

"Alright, enough playing around! I summon Insect Knight! (1900/1500) He attacks Mari!"

"Not happening," Amy responded. "I activate Gravity Bind. This makes it so that no monster that is level four or higher can attack."

"Ugh… but wait! That puts you at a disadvantage too!" Scrab protested.

"Not really," Amy grinned. "I usually don't attempt attacking."

"Then you won't live for very long." He eyed a card in his hand. "Hm… why not? I can't leave that Drug Reaction on the field anyway. So I activate Evil Energy Explosion!"

"I've never even heard of that card," Amy told him.

"It's an instant magic that forces me to discard a card from my hand to play it. So I will get rid of Howling Insect for that cost. In return for that, all permanent trap cards on the field are destroyed."

"But that means…"

"That your Drug Reaction and Gravity Bind are gone. Too bad; it looks like I took away two important parts of your strategy. I lay one card face down and end my turn."

"Not good," Hope said. "Amy depends on Drug Reaction, and she has to have some card to block attacks… without them, I don't see any way she can win."

"What, you're saying it's as good as done now?" Mana asked.

"No, she can still win. It will just be much harder."

"That's reassuring," Brandi muttered.

Amy seemed troubled by her loss of the two traps, but was nowhere near ready to give up. "I switch Fallen Angel: Mari to defense mode. Then I lay two cards face down…"

"And I activate my trap card, Shin Tsuen Fu."

"Try saying that three times fast," Draken commented.

"It is a permanent trap card that allows me to select two set magic or trap cards on the field. Of course, I will choose your two. Now, as long as Shin Tsuen Fu remains on the field, you cannot activate those two cards."

"That's really annoying," Amy grimaced. "Well… I have no choice but to end my turn."

Scrab smirked at his next card. "Perfect. I lay one monster in defense mode and end my turn."

"I'm not going to be lured into attacking," Amy stated. "I lay one monster in defense mode and end my turn."

"Then it is time to begin," Scrab declared. "I flip over my face down monster, Parasite! (500/300)"

Amy looked appalled at the creature in front of her. "That thing looks disgusting… what does it do?"

"Well, it lives up to its name," Scrab told her. "His reverse effect will now activate."

The Parasite suddenly leapt at her, its tentacles shooting into her deck. She yelped as the Parasite swiftly vanished into her deck.

"What the heck was that?!" she exclaimed.

Scrab took the Parasite card off of his Duel Disk and tossed it over to her. "Shuffle that into your deck, face up. When you draw it, I'll explain what it does. For the meantime, I lay one monster in defense mode, and attack Mari with Insect Knight! Then it is your turn."

Amy still looked sickened by what the Parasite had done, but drew her next card. "Since it is my standby phase, Mari's effect activates. When she's in the Cemetery during my standby phase, I gain 200 Life Points."

Amy: 8200

Scrab: 7000

"That's a pathetic amount," Scrab pointed out. "It certainly isn't worth using that monster to get it, anyway."

"You really don't know anything about my kind of deck, do you?" Amy asked. "Please, until you realize what my strategy is, shut up about my choice of cards."

"…"

"Thank you. I lay another monster in defense mode and play a permanent magic card, Magic Absorption!"

"What does that do?"

"Every time one of us plays a magic card, I gain 500 Life Points. That's all I'm going to do."

"Now the fun really begins," Scrab sneered. "I flip over my face down monster, Emissary-Eating Insect. (900/1200) His reverse effect allows me to destroy two monsters on the field. So say goodbye to your two monsters."

"My Quick Squirrel (1000/100)… and another UFO Turtle… both of their effects rely on being destroyed in battle."

"Whoa, whoa, hold on a minute!" Draken interrupted. "I thought Emissary-Eating Insect was a level five monster!"

"It is," Scrab confirmed.

"But you didn't sacrifice for it!"

"That's because of Spear's Deck Master ability. I do not have to sacrifice to summon any of my Insect Sub-Types," Scrab explained.

"That could pose a serious problem…" Zack commented. "If he has any more of those, or high attacking insects that he won't need to sacrifice for, then Amy really won't be able to defend herself against it."

"Exactly right," Scrab smirked. "Now I activate a magic card, Jade Whistle!"

Amy: 8700

Scrab: 7000

"I know all too well what it does when activated outside of a duel," Amy said with a wince. "But what does it do inside a duel?"

"You choose one Insect Sub-Type in your deck and then shuffle your deck. When it's shuffled, you put that Insect Sub-Type on the top of your deck."

"But I don't have any Insect Sub-Types…" Amy trailed off, realizing what he was doing. "The Parasite. You want me to draw it?"

"Correct. Now retrieve it."

Amy glared at the card before slipping it on top of her deck. "Is that it?"

"I lay one card face down, and then yes, that is it."

Amy looked at the Parasite. "Ok, I've drawn it. Now what happens?"

"It is special summoned to the field in face up defense mode, so go ahead and do that."

Looking as though it was the last thing she wanted to do, she laid it on her Duel Disk. The Parasite appeared instantly.

"When it comes to your field, you lose 1000 Life Points as well."

Amy: 7700

Scrab: 7000

"And when you special summon him, I will activate my trap card, Holy Radiance. As long as this card is on the field, neither of us can play any monsters face down. If you want to play a monster in defense mode, you'll have to play it face up."

"Alright then… I also gain 200 Life Points from Mari."

Amy: 7900

Scrab: 7000

"Then I play White Magician Pikeru in defense mode. (1200/0)"

The Parasite instantly shot a tentacle at her. It came out of the dazed mage's shoulder, giving it quite a gruesome appearance.

"That's just sickening," Amy grimaced. "What did it do to her?"

"As long as Parasite is on your field, all of your monsters will be treated as Insect Sub-Types."

"Ugh… I end my turn."

"I activate Jar of Greed…"

Amy: 8400

Scrab: 7000

"Excellent. Now I play Insect Barrier!"

Amy: 8900

Scrab: 7000

"That means that I won't be able to attack you at all," Amy realized.

"Correct. Then I play Hatching."

Amy: 9400

Scrab: 7000

"Hatching?"

"I sacrifice one of my monsters. In this case, I choose Emissary-Eating Insect. Then I search my deck for an Insect Sub-Type that is one level higher and special summon it to the field. So I choose my Insect Princess! (1900/1200)"

As the Insect Princess appeared, the Parasite and Pikeru suddenly stood.

"They're changing to attack mode? But why?!" Amy protested.

"When Insect Princess is on the field, all of your Insect Sub-Types are forced into attack mode. Insect Princess attacks Pikeru!"

Amy: 8700

Scrab: 7000

"Also, for every Insect Sub-Type she destroys, she gains 500 more attack points. (2400/1200) I end my turn at that."

Amy looked over at Sakura. "I may have more Life Points, but we're still at the disadvantage. If we don't get something good quickly, then he'll be able to completely annihilate us."

"Then we'd better start hoping we get something good!" Sakura replied.

"Figured you'd say that," Amy muttered.

Amy: 8900

Scrab: 7000

Amy looked at the monster she had just drawn. _Hm… this changes everything. But if I summon her, she'll be destroyed by Insect Princess… oh! Maybe this will work…_

"I pass," she said.

"What? But if she doesn't play another monster… then he'll overrun her!" Larka realized.

"No, he won't," Brandi grinned. "I think I know what she's trying to do."

"How irritating of you," Scrab growled. "I pass as well."

"Huh? Why didn't he attack?" Larka asked, confused.

"Scrab couldn't kill her in a full assault this turn," Zack explained. "And he knows that his Parasite is giving him the biggest advantage at this moment. So until he can destroy her in one attack, he won't destroy the Parasite."

"That's clever," Larka responded, satisfied with his answer.

"But that won't work for long," Brandi said grimly. "If he gets another monster, he has this match won."

"I don't understand. Even with another monster, he won't be able to destroy all of her Life Points, will he?" Hope pointed out.

"Right, but he also has his Javelin Beetle," Brandi replied. "If he brings him out as well, then that will be the end of it."

"Oh yeah…"

"I'm depending on this next card…" Amy murmured, drawing.

Amy: 9100

Scrab: 7000

She blinked at it. "Ok… actually, I'm depending on my next two cards. I play my own Jar of Greed."

Amy: 9600

Scrab: 7000

Amy looked at the cards and sighed in relief. "This is perfect! First, I summon Big Bangirl! (1300/1500) Then I play Cyclone on your Shin Tsuen Fu!"

"What? Damn it!" Scrab swore.

"This also triggers Magic Absorption. But it's going to be a bit worse for you this time," Amy grinned.

The Big Bangirl waved her staff at Scrab. A stream of fire shot out of it, slamming into him.

"Argh! What the hell was that?"

"Whenever I gain Life Points, Big Bangirl makes you lose 500 Life Points," Amy explained.

Amy: 10100

Scrab: 6500

"So your deck is based around that?" Scrab realized.

"Big Bangirl and Drug Reaction, really," Amy smiled. "You're a bit late in figuring that out though, aren't you? I've already won, pretty much. I activate another magic card, Emissary of Peace!"

Amy: 10600

Scrab: 6000

"This permanent magic card makes it so that no monster with 1500 or more attack points can attack. I do have to pay 100 Life Points every standby phase to keep it up… but that isn't a big loss, seeing that I have more than enough Life Points to spare anyway."

"But that means that I can't destroy your Big Bangirl!" Scrab snarled.

"That's right. I lay one card face down, and end my turn."

"Alright. I draw…"

"And I activate my three trap cards in response!"

"All three?!" Scrab said disbelievingly.

"Yep. My first one is called Blessing of God. Every time I draw a card, I gain 500 Life Points. My second one is another Drug Reaction, and the third is Eye of Truth!"

"Eye of Truth?"

"You have to play with your hand revealed to me. Also, whenever you have a magic card in your hand on your standby phase, you gain 1000 Life Points."

"But with Drug Reaction…"

"That's right."

"Damn you…" He showed her his hand, which now had Plasma Insect Armor and Metal Armored Bug.

Amy: 10600

Scrab: 5000

"She's got him now!" Hope grinned.

Amy gazed back at the seething Scrab coolly. "Now you have three options. One is to keep your magic cards in your hand and suffer the damage from my Eye of Truth. Another is to play it, giving me 500 more Life Points and making you lose the same amount."

"And the third one is to set it, filling up my magic and trap card zones," Scrab snarled.

"Yep. I assume that is what you'll do?"

"Obviously. I lay one card face down and summon Metal Armored Bug. (2800/1500) Then it's your turn…"

"Alright, now it's time for some fun. I draw, gaining 500 Life Points due to Blessing of God. I also gain 200 more due to Fallen Angel: Mari. You lose 500 for each one, so that's another 1000 Life Points you've lost. I also lose 100 Life Points for Emissary of Peace."

Amy: 11200

Scrab: 4000

"Then I play Rich Goblin. This lets me draw one card, and you gain 1000 Life Points while I do so. Of course, with Drug Reaction, you're losing that amount instead. And because of Magic Absorption, I gain and you lose 500 Life Points."

Amy: 11700

Scrab: 2500

"How could I have gone from offensive to defensive so quickly?!" Scrab growled. "It's impossible!"

"I'd say it's very possible, seeing as you just did. I'll end my turn at that."

He drew, cautiously looking at his card. "No! Another Insect Barrier…"

Amy: 11700

Scrab: 1500

"Damn it all… I lay one card down and end my turn…"

"Blessing of God and Mari activate, and I pay for Emissary of Peace…"

Amy: 12400

Scrab: 500

"And now it's over," Amy declared. "I now activate Sakura's Deck Master ability! By discarding a card from my hand-in this case, my Level B Restriction Map-I gain 1000 Life Points. This also means that my Big Bangirl's effect is activated for the last time!"

Amy: 13400

Scrab: 0

"She got him!" Draken exclaimed.

Larka sighed in relief. "I was tense that whole duel…"

"But… but…" Scrab stammered.

"Face it; you've lost. And now you'll have to go through the penalties for it," Amy stated, looking over at the Insect Queen.

The Insect Queen eyed the group members for a minute, before making another hissing noise. At that sound, the group suddenly felt the web lose its stickiness, and fell off it. Zack, Brandi, Larka, and Fell landed safely, the latter two catching their Soul Monsters as they came down. Mana floated down easily. Gaston grabbed Hope while they were still in midair and landed with her safely. Darche landed on his feet as well, but Draken hit the ground stomach first.

"Stupid spider…" he groaned, sitting up. "She just had to put me at the top of the darn web and drop us without warning."

"Well, in truth, you did have a warning," Hope pointed out.

"Not a very good one."

The Insect Queen was now scurrying down the web, towards Scrab and Spear. Seeing the danger heading their way, Spear instantly ran into the forest. Scrab, face pale, followed a few seconds later. The Insect Queen was surprisingly fast though, and crashed after them until they were out of sight.

"I'd hate to be them at this moment," Mana shuddered.

"We would have been them, if Amy and Sakura hadn't shown up," Draken pointed out.

"Yeah. We owe you a lot for helping us," Hope said to her sister. "Thanks."

"I think we all agree with that," Brandi stated.

"We're glad we could help," Amy replied.

Suddenly, a piercing scream sounded from the forest. It sounded as though Scrab had not been able to run fast enough.

After a few seconds, Sakura spoke up as though nothing had happened. "So what kind of trouble are you in this time?"

Hope was about to speak, when she remembered that their enemies were probably listening to them this very minute. She had lost her notebook and pen too, which meant they were going to have to deal with being overheard. So she changed what she was going to say. "We're trying to save a friend. He'll die if we don't get him help soon." And technically, that was the truth.

Amy glanced around at them. "You are missing a lot of people, aren't you? Is there any other way we can help?"

"I'm sorry, but this is something we should do alone," Hope replied firmly. "We were careless this time… we'll be more careful from here on out."

"Still, this worries me," Amy murmured.

"Yeah… I wish you could come," Hope said. "But really… there's no way you can. Sorry…"

Amy glanced up at the sky. "I guess we should be going home anyway. It's getting late."

The others were shocked to see that the sky was darkening.

"It's nighttime already?! How long have we been unconscious?" Draken exclaimed.

"A pretty long time, apparently," Gaston replied.

"Then we must hurry," Zack stated.

Hope looked over at Amy. "Please, trust us. We'll be fine."

Amy reluctantly nodded. "Ok. I wish you the best of luck."

"Thanks, we'll need it," Draken joked.

"I'll contact you when it's over, alright?" Hope said.

"That sounds good. We'll see you later," Amy responded.

"Bye until next time," Sakura called as they teleported out of Teknisk Wereld.

Larka broke the silence. "So, now what do we do? Go to the volcano island?"

"Yep," Brandi answered. "We need to take down Vlad quickly."

"And we will," Draken stated. He turned to Zack. "You hear that, you three?! We're coming to kill you all, so just stay where you are and wait for us!"

"I don't appreciate being used as a telephone," Zack said dryly.

"Sorry, couldn't resist," Draken replied sheepishly.

"Then let's get to the lake," Hope suggested.

With their next course of action settled, they set off.

-----

"Quite bold of them," Vlad commented, amused by the threat. "But they'll never even make it in here." He looked over at Malady. "How strong is this man you sent out?"

"Not nearly as strong as I would have liked," she said distastefully. "But he might be able to lessen their numbers by a few."

"It doesn't really matter though, does it?" Viken asked Vlad.

"In no way whatsoever," he smirked. "They won't be able to make it through our last defense, after all."

-----

Neo woke up instantly, thinking he had heard something. Furious at himself for falling asleep, he went over to Will.

The teen was stirring restlessly, the vivid black marks glowing softly while his forehead shone with sweat. He moaned softly, and Neo realized that was probably what had woken him up.

Neo gingerly touched his forehead, and he drew it back quickly. He was used to it being hot, but this was much worse than usual. He instantly got up and went into the hall.

Lilian was leaving Max's room when the swordsman came running up to her. "Neo? Is something wrong?"

"It's Will. He's getting a lot worse…"

"Alright, let's see him."

She went inside, and her face darkened as she saw his condition. "I need to see something before I can be sure, but if I'm right…"

Taking his temperature only took a few minutes, but they seemed to take forever for the worried pair. Then Lilian looked at it.

"There's no denying it now," she said sadly. "He's dying."

"Dying?" Neo whispered.

"Yes. When victims reach this point, they live for about twenty-four hours before dying."

"But…" He trailed off, knowing it was useless.

"We can only pray that they will find the cure for this virus before it's too late," Lilian stated. "I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do. You will have to support him for these last hours of his."

"Yeah…"

"I will come in to check on him occasionally, but like I said, I can't help. So hang in there for his sake." Then she left, shutting the door softly.

Neo went next to Will, closing his eyes as a tear escaped him. "Will… you have to hang on… please, you just have to. You can't die… not when they're trying so hard to save you."

His only response was silence from his pained companion.

To be continued…


	17. Is That Your Final Answer?

Now this was a fun chapter to write. I really enjoyed it! The others should be just as entertaining, so I'm looking forward to it!

John: Thanks. Let us see, shall we?

Demon Fan: You'll get those answers soon enough.

**Chapter 17: Is That Your Final Answer?**

The trip through the forest was uneventful. They emerged from it shortly, and went to the lake edge.

"Well, we're here," Gaston stated. "Anyone have a vessel?"

"Yeah," Brandi replied, inserting a card into her Duel Disk. A Skull Blood Pirate Ship appeared in front of them.

"That works. I'll steer," Draken volunteered, leaping onto it. The others followed, and they made a swift departure.

The water was calm that night, much to their relief. Draken knew the way to the island, so their only worry was running into another trap one of Vlad's henchmen might have set up. But Draken soon announced that they were already halfway there, and by that point they had still found nothing to halt their progress.

Most of them were waiting in silence, although Larka took off her Duel Disk and began going through her deck for one last time, in case she would have to use it soon.

They were about three quarters of the way there when Draken suddenly called, "There's a ship ahead! I can't tell whether it's friendly or against us from this distance, but I think we should be ready for the worst."

The group came over to where he was to see the ship in question.

"It's approaching us," Hope realized. "Should we let them come up to us or flee?"

"They'll catch up to us eventually," Gaston told her. "We might as well see what they want."

"Alright. Hey, Zack, could you drop the anchor? We'll wait; if they want to talk, they'll come to where we are," Draken decided.

Sure enough, the ship began to approach them. When it came up to the side of their ship, a man leapt onto their ship's deck, his own vessel vanishing.

The man wore an official's standard outfit, consisting of the black suit, a white shirt and black tie underneath, and black pants, with black hard shoes. He had light-brown hair that was kept back in a ponytail, with a goatee that was the same color. He also had light-brown eyes that eyed them cunningly, but with a hint of fear in the backs of them.

Larka gasped as she saw him. "You!"

The man flinched, stepping back. "So you are here… I was afraid of that."

"Huh? Do you know him Larka?" Brandi asked.

"It's strange… I feel as though I have seen him before," Zack stated. "But I can't recall where."

"Remember that time that Fell, Daine, Malon, and I were separated from all of you?" Larka asked. "The official who captured me is this same man."

Zack nodded. "That explains. I probably saw him at a distance."

Malon sniffed the air, and then barked inquiringly at Daine.

"Malon is asking why you have the stench of fear clinging to you," Daine told the official. "I would like to know as well."

If you had witnessed what I have, you would be frightened of her as well," he said. "Larka… that is your name, correct? She escaped somehow; at the time, I did not know how. Now it makes sense though. Apparently, your cyborg friend found you. But the point is, she came back later that night." He shivered. "I'll never forget those eyes… they were filled with so much blood-lust… I was the only one in my group to survive."

Larka paled. "The group of officials I killed… when I was affected by the full moon… I had no idea you were in it as well."

"I was terrified by what I had witnessed, and fled. Malady contacted me though, and I went back to serve her. Now, it has come to this."

"You plan on trying to stop us then?" Darche assumed.

"Yes. I am the last duelist standing in your way of the base. After I am dead, you will face no more duelists until you step into it."

"That's nice to know," Mana commented. "But we still have to get through you, right?"

"Correct. I don't like it at all… I still fear the memory of that night…" he stated. "But I will be able to defeat anyone when it comes to cards."

"I guess we have no choice but to accept," Draken said. "Larka, do you want to face him? You know, for revenge?"

Larka shook her head. "No, not me. I'm not one for having vengeance… why don't you, Draken? We haven't seen you duel for a while."

"I was hoping you'd ask," Draken grinned. "I could use a warm up for what's ahead. Ready Darche?"

"Of course," he replied.

"I have no Soul Monster," the official told him. "You are Draken, I assume. My name is Abram."

"Meet Darche," Draken introduced, indicating to his Soul Monster. "So, what are the conditions? Just that the loser dies?"

"Yes."

"Good enough for me. Let's go!"

Draken: 8000

Abram: 8000

"If you do not mind, I will go first," Abram stated. He gave Larka one last, nervous glance before turning his attention completely to the duel. "Not a bad first hand. I summon Thunder Sage in attack mode. (1500/1300) Then I lay two cards face down and end my turn."

"Alright… wow, what a hand! I'll start by summoning Knight of White Dragon! (1900/1200)"

"Wait a minute… isn't that a ritual monster?"

"Yeah. But due to Darche's Deck Master ability, I don't have to use a ritual to summon him. Then I play Stomping Crash. I can activate this magic card when I have a Dragon Sub-Type on my field. It destroys one of your magic or trap cards, and causes you to lose 500 Life Points. I'll destroy the one to your left!"

"Then I'll chain with the trap you tried to destroy, Result of Kozakkii's Research. This allows me to look at the next three cards on the top of my deck and rearrange them as I wish to."

"Curses," Draken muttered. "Well… I'll risk your other trap. Knight of White Dragon attacks!"

The knight easily cut down the Thunder Sage, who vanished with an expression of pain on his face.

Draken: 8000

Abram: 7600

"Since my Thunder Sage has been sent to the Cemetery, his effect has been triggered," Abram told him. "I lose 5000 Life Points."

Draken: 8000

Abram: 2600

"Whoa whoa whoa! What did you just say?!" Draken yelped. "You lost 5000 Life Points, all for that pathetic monster? There has to be a catch!"

"If he had been reverse summoned, I would have gained 3000 Life Points," Abram said. "But that is it. There is no catch, as you put it."

"Hmph… this still makes me suspicious," Draken stated. "I lay one card down and end my turn."

"I don't understand," Larka murmured. "Why would he decrease his own Life Points so drastically?"

"To be honest, I have no idea," Brandi answered. "But he's got to have something up his sleeve."

Abram did not even look at his card as he drew it. "I have already won."

"What do you mean by that?" Draken asked, tensing at the words.

"Let me show you what I mean. First, I will use Cyclone to destroy your magic or trap card."

"Darn. You destroyed my Attack Nullification."

"Good. Now I activate my trap card, Sealing Wall of Light. Do you know what this does?"

"Yeah. You pay an amount of Life Points, which has to be a multiple of 1000, and none of my monsters that has that many attack points or lower can attack you."

"Correct. So I pay 2000 Life Points."

Draken: 8000

Abram: 600

"What is with you?!" Draken demanded. "Even if I can't attack very easily, you're not going to last very long with that amount of Life Points. What are you playing at?"

Abram smirked. "I suppose now would be the best time to activate it. So I play The Reverse Quiz."

"The Reverse Quiz?"

"Yes. This magic card forces me to discard all of my cards to the Cemetery, and to destroy all cards on my side of the field. So I lose my Sealing Wall of Light, Metamol Pot, and Seal of Time. Then I call monster, magic, or trap, and draw the next card in my deck. Thanks to Kozakkii's Research, I am well aware that my next card is a trap card, Destruction Ring." He showed Draken the card. "Since I was correct, we now switch Life Point values."

"What?! No way!" Draken exclaimed, looking at his Life Point counter as it rapidly decreased.

Draken: 600

Abram: 8000

"Now I'd say you are at quite the disadvantage," Abram pointed out.

"Damn it all! He may not have any cards, but this is still definitely not a good situation to be in!" Draken growled. "You based your whole deck around this, didn't you? Trying to use Reversal Quiz to its maximum effect?"

"That's exactly right."

"Then that means your Destruction Ring will kill me next turn!" Draken snarled. "Not good…"

"My gosh," Hope said in awe. "I can't believe how quickly the tables turned…"

"Hang in there Draken!" Mana encouraged. "It may look bleak but you still have a chance!"

"Actually, he still has a very good chance," Zack stated.

"What do you mean?" Larka inquired.

"Draken still has three cards in his hand, and his Knight of White Dragon. When he draws, he will have four cards. That opens up a lot of options for him. Abram, on the other hand, will draw Destruction Ring next turn. If he can get his Life Points low enough, then Destruction Ring will result in a draw. If he can destroy him this turn, all the better. But if he can't…"

"Then that's it," Larka said nervously. "All we can do is hope that it works out…"

Draken looked at his hand. "This won't work, will it? The odds of me drawing what I need are too low. But it's the only way I can win… I have to hope that this works!" He drew, and looked at his card with wide eyes. "Now that is what I call luck! It's time to start defeating you!"

"How do you expect to do that?" Abram asked.

"First, I will use my Knight of White Dragon's ability. I sacrifice him to special summon a Blue Eyes White Dragon from my deck! (3000/2500) Then I activate Fusion!"

"Fusion?!"

"That's right. By fusing together my two Blue Eyes White Dragons and Fusion Sealed Life Form-Light, I can bring forth my Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon! (4500/3800)"

The three headed beast emerged, roaring as all three sets of eyes glared at Abram.

"But how? You have to have three Blue Eyes White Dragons to form the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"

"My Fusion Sealed Life Form-Light is a Fusion Sub monster. It can take the place of any other card I need in a fusion."

Abram relaxed. "Not bad, but you still can't win. It will be a tie, and I can win easily enough in the next game."

"Afraid not!" Draken grinned. "I won't let you get away with a tie! For now I sacrifice my Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon to special summon Blue Eyes Shining Dragon! (3000/2500)"

The blue glowing dragon emerged, giving a high-pitched screech. Malon yelped, ears going back as Daine growled irritably. Everyone else stared in awe at the beast. It looked very similar to a regular Blue Eyes White Dragon, except for two major differences. One was that it had no arms. The other was the huge blue jewels that were on its legs, wings, stomach, and forehead. They gave off a beautiful light as the dragon stretched out its wings, which looked strange as well. They seemed to have feathers, but they were actually scales. The creature gazed down at the amazed Abram. But soon he came back to his senses and began laughing.

"You sacrificed your strongest monster for one that's even weaker? You're stupider than I thought!"

"Am I? We'll see next turn, won't we?" Draken said. "But for now, I'll explain what Blue Eyes Shining Dragon's effect is. For every Dragon Sub-Type in my Cemetery, it gets 300 more attack. Since I have four-my Knight of White Dragon, my two Blue Eyes White Dragon, and my Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon-that's 1200 attack points! (4200/2500) Now it attacks!"

Draken: 600

Abram: 3800

"Argh… oh well. I'll still settle for a tie! I lay one card face down and end my turn!"

"Hm… doesn't really matter what I draw, since I've pretty much won," Draken stated.

"You're wrong, because now I activate Destruction Ring, destroying your Blue Eyes Shining Dragon! We also each take 4200 damage, which kills us both!"

"Are you sure?" Draken asked.

"Of course I am! Just watch!"

The ring of grenades appeared around the Blue Eyes Shining Dragon, and then the ring exploded. Smoke blinded everyone, so they could not see the results. But finally they managed to look up.

The Blue Eyes Shining Dragon hissed at the stunned Abram.

"B-but that's impossible!" he stammered.

"Actually, no, it isn't. My Blue Eyes Shining Dragon has the ability to negate any magics, traps, and monster effects that target it. So your Destruction Ring was completely useless." Draken smiled. "I think it's about time we wrapped this up. We are on a time limit, after all; Will's counting on us. Blue Eyes Shining Dragon will finish you off!"

Draken: 600

Abram: 0

Abram got up slowly. "Argh… alright. I can see you won. But I was ready for that!" He drew out a card, putting it to his Duel Disk. "I may die, but I will take all of you with me! By activating…"

That was when Larka lunged, the Duel Disk she had never put back on falling to the deck of this ship with a clatter as she went at Abram, slamming into him. They crashed into the railing, falling overboard.

"Larka!" Hope cried, running over to where they were, the others following. They looked over the edge to see the two figures falling towards the water.

Abram looked up at his attacker, and froze with fear. For although the full moon had already passed, and Larka's eyes were still their strange yellow, he saw them as the blood-thirsty red eyes he had seen a month ago. As he went into the water, he still could not bring himself to move. So his last sight, before he ran out of oxygen and sank towards the depths, was those eyes that had filled him with so much horror.

As Larka went underwater, she fought to keep from panicking. Giving Abram a last look, she twisted away from him and began struggling to swim in what she hoped was up. Her sense of direction was being confused by the water, so she could only guess at where she should go.

Fell was about to leap in after them, as was Malon, but Daine stopped the puppy by putting his large paw over him. "Master, do not risk yourself! You know full well that you would be in just as bad as a position as she is!"

Fell stepped back from the area, looking away.

"I'm not just going to stand here and let her drown because of some pathetic duelist!" Brandi exclaimed.

"Brandi, stay here as well," Zack requested. "There is no need to risk more than one person." Then he leapt off the boat as well.

His descent was cut short as the device to hover was activated. He closed his eyes, concentrating on where he could feel Larka.

He suddenly went to an area over the water, right as Larka emerged from that location. Before she could sink again, he grabbed her and went back to the deck. He barely had time to land before his device shut off automatically, making him aware of how close that had been.

Brandi came over to them instantly. "Larka? Are you alright?"

She coughed for a few seconds before regaining her breath. "I think so…"

"Hey, that was pretty cool," Draken commented to Zack. "It was like you knew exactly where she would emerge."

"I did know. I can read heat signatures," Zack stated. "So I focused on where hers was."

"What about Abram?" Hope asked.

Mana glanced at the deep waters. "Why don't you go down there and find out for yourself?"

"That isn't funny," Hope said, shivering. "But it does answer my question."

"You're sure that you're ok?" Brandi asked.

"Yeah… although I nearly wasn't. I don't really know how to swim," Larka confessed.

"Geez, I can see why," Draken winced. "Never had the time, huh? Well, we had better teach you how to later. We don't want that happening again."

"True…" Larka looked over at Zack. "Thanks for helping me."

"I'm glad I could help," he responded. "Draken, I advise you get back to steering the ship. We really don't have much time to waste."

"Good point. Would you please get the anchor?"

"Don't bother, I will," Brandi said to the cyborg, going over to where it was. In a few seconds, they had set sail once more.

When Brandi left Larka to do that, Malon leapt over to her, yipping anxiously. Daine followed, looking over the soaked girl. Fell came as well, handing her the Duel Disk she had dropped.

"Oh, thanks," she said, accepting it carefully. "Although I should probably wait to put it on…"

Draken overheard that. "I forgot, you're probably freezing to death! Why don't you go below the ship?"

"Alright. Thank you," Larka replied before leaving. Malon followed her.

"I'm still a bit concerned," Brandi said. "I'm going as well." Before Draken could respond, she was gone.

Zack glanced at the area that they had entered. "I would like to have some time to regain my energy before we reach the island."

"Go ahead," Draken responded. "Just be ready when we get there."

"Sure." Then he went as well.

As he entered, he saw that the lower deck was basically nothing more than an empty room. Larka was leaning against the wall in it, while Brandi had sat next to her. Malon was in her lap, whining in discomfort due to her wet clothes.

"Not much to look at, huh?" Brandi commented.

"True," Zack said before also going against the wall. "When we are about to reach the island, would one of you please approach me? I'll wake up instantly."

"Alright," Larka agreed. "Um… just a question. But you're a bit damp now, aren't you? Will that… affect your body somehow?"

"Only if I went into the water completely," Zack answered. "I am a bit resistant to water, but not enough to go into it."

"Oh. I was just curious," she said.

He pressed something on his wrist, and the closed his eyes, falling into unconsciousness.

Brandi broke the silence. "Is something wrong? You've been quiet."

"Well… I just killed someone. I've killed people before, but only when it was a full moon. It's something I have known that I would probably have to do, but it still does not make me feel any better," Larka confessed.

"Don't worry about it. I don't know what Abram was hoping to activate, but it was going to kill everyone, including himself. So you saved more lives than ones that were lost."

"Heh… thanks," she replied, stroking Malon. "I guess that's true."

"Of course it is. Don't feel guilty over that guy. Just relax so that you'll be ready when we reach the island."

"Alright…"

-----

"Land ahoy!" Draken called after some more time had passed. "Hope, would you get those three-eh, four with Malon-to come out here?"

"Aye aye captain," she joked before running off.

"If I ever get a real ship, she's going to be the deck scrubber," Draken muttered as he directed the Skull Blood Pirate Ship towards the island.

Hope ran down the stairs. "Hey, we've just about reached land! Come on up!"

"Be right there," Brandi said, standing.

Larka went over to Zack, who opened his eyes instantly. "Are we there?"

"Just about."

They went up, and looked up at the huge volcano on the island that they were approaching.

"And we've arrived!" Draken announced, bringing the side of the ship up to the island. "Everyone off please!"

They abandoned the ship, and then it vanished.

"So, now where do we go?" Hope asked.

"We can't see the base, so it's probably behind the volcano," Gaston stated.

"And we didn't go behind it while still on a ship… why?" Brandi questioned.

"Because if we had, we would have had our ship torn to pieces by the sharp rocks I saw over there," Draken stated.

"Ah."

"Well, let's get moving," Mana suggested. "How should we do this?"

"We're going to have to go through the crater of the volcano," Gaston winced. "There's no other way to get to the backside of it."

"But what if it erupts?" Hope said nervously.

"There isn't much of a chance of that happening," Brandi answered. "Madura was the one who triggered the eruption last time. Normally, it would not do so. And if Vlad tries to pull it on us, then his base will be destroyed as well."

"That's true," Hope nodded.

"According to Abram, there aren't any more duelists," Darche stated. "I'm not sure if I trust him though, so be on guard."

Climbing to the crater was easy for them. They soon arrived, and descended to the ground within it, being careful to avoid the lava inside it.

"Now we just have to get to the other side…" Draken muttered.

Suddenly, they heard a loud roar. A creature jumped in front of them, blocking them.

"Grendel!" Hope gasped.

The metal monster growled menacingly at them as it approached.

"That explains why they didn't need any other duelists," Draken muttered.

"But what can we do? We don't have anything that can stand up to him!" Hope said.

Brandi stepped forward. "Actually, we do. Please stand back everyone."

They did so, watching her as she pulled out a card. In a second, a huge monster that looked to be about as tall as a story was hissing at Grendel.

"Masque! How did you get him?" Larka asked as Mana went to the very back of the group, as far away from the demon as she could get.

"Matt gave him to me, saying to use him if needed," Brandi explained. "Masque! Kill that Metal Devilzoa now!"

Masque instantly leapt forward. Although Masque was bigger, and Grendel was made of metal, he was still swift. He leapt out of the way of Masque's claws and came forward, striking him. Again Masque tried, only to miss once more as Grendel struck his shoulder.

"It's no use!" Draken exclaimed. "Masque just isn't able to keep up with him!"

"Just watch," Brandi commanded. "He'll surprise you."

"Still, I want to be on the safe side," Draken stated. "Darche, would you please call one of your friends?"

"No problem," he replied, holding up his glowing sword.

Grendel leapt at Masque, claws bared once more. But Masque suddenly swung at the Grendel with astonishing speed, grabbing its left arm. The Metal Devilzoa screeched in pain as Masque tore the arm off and jumped back. Masque let the arm drop into the lava nearby him and braced itself again. Grendel stood up once more, snarling in anger and going completely offensive. It was much faster now, but Masque was not holding back either. The two creatures exchanged several blows. Both seemed weary but refused to give in.

Then Grendel dodged a slash, and leapt right up to Masque's three masks and slashed. The masks cracked, and Masque let out a roar of agony.

Brandi held up the Soul Card. "Come back! Return to your Soul Card before you die!"

Masque vanished, leaving the angry Grendel glaring at the group.

"He's weakened, but he can still kill us easily!" Gaston warned, drawing his sword. "Be careful guys!"

"You're going to fight that thing? You'll never win!" Mana exclaimed.

"What choice do we have?" Gaston asked.

Then another roar echoed through the crater. A Blue Eyes White Dragon came diving down, and shot a stream of white lightning at Grendel.

"Alright! He made it!" Darche said in relief.

Grendel yelped as it slammed into its chest. But it was unfazed, and before the Blue Eyes could react, charged at the group.

"No! It's immune to it!" Draken exclaimed. "Guys, watch out! The Blue Eyes can't hold it back!"

The Soul Monsters leapt in front of the group, knowing it was futile but ready to die defending their companions. The group members stared on in horror as it rushed towards them.

Then the Blue Eyes shot another stream of white lightning. But as it did so, they also heard yet another screeching roar, and a huge red fireball came flying at Grendel with amazing speed.

The two shots did what one could not. A hole tore straight through the Soul Monster's chest as Grendel let out one final, piercing scream. Then it fell backwards into the lava, sinking into it.

The group members were too astonished by the scene to do anything but stare on as their saviors landed in front of them. The Blue Eyes hissed gently as it looked at the other creature.

It was a slender, pitch-black dragon. It had three huge claws on its feet and three even bigger ones on each of its hands. Its tail, which whipped through the air, was amazingly long. Its wings were gigantic, and were much larger than the Blue Eyes White Dragon's wings. It had sharp white teeth and blood-red eyes.

"No way," Draken muttered, walking over to it with a look of disbelief. Darche strode forward confidently, while the others followed at a wary distance.

The dragon bent down, allowing its rider to jump off of it. It was a girl that looked to be about fifteen or sixteen. She wore a long, blood-red dress with short sleeves and black shoes. She had long, black hair that fell about midway down her back, and emerald-green eyes.

"Draken? May I ask what is going on here?" she said softly, her vivid eyes filled with concern.

To be continued…


	18. Hatred's Marks

Snow day today! Hooray! I got to spend the whole day writing, and it was quite fun!

Captain Obvious: Thanks. It will get better, hopefully!

John: Actually, Draken had fewer changes than most of the group members. But he did improve it a bit.

Demon Fan: -Buzzer sound- Wrong! Vlad is not working for anyone but himself. There may be more people on their foe list than the group thinks, but when it comes to Vlad, he is certainly not working for anyone.

**Chapter 18: Hatred's Marks**

Vlad stared at the device in disbelief. "They defeated Grendel? They're much better than I thought they would be." He got up. "It does not make much of a difference though. Viken, Malady, get ready to intercept them. We'll see how far they manage to get through this base."

"It should be quite interesting," Viken stated.

"I look forward to facing her… the one I have desired to kill for so long…" Malady hissed.

Viken took out another syringe. "Sir, are you sure we should stick with our original plan of being on separate stories? I doubt Malady will be able to keep herself under control without constant uses of these."

"Then let her be the first one to fight them," Vlad decided. "That way, it will be easier to make her calm down. But really, I see no problem if she shows her insane nature in this duel. She can still think well enough to duel. In a way, it will be more beneficial-they will surely be worse off trying to face her like this, after all."

"Alright then." He injected some of the liquid into Malady, causing her eyes to become clear once more.

"How long will it last?" Malady asked him.

"Long enough for you to get down there. I suspect it will stop affecting you when you see… her," he stated, wisely avoiding saying Hope's name.

"Ah. Then that will be fine. I will report as soon as I have dealt with them," Malady told them, walking away.

Viken waited until she was gone before speaking again. "I don't know how long she will last, but I do have a few ideas to try out. Some specimens need testing, and I am sure this will be my best opportunity to do so."

"Go ahead then," Vlad shrugged. "Whatever you think will stop them."

"Fine." Then Viken left as well.

Vlad grabbed his Duel Disk and put it on his arm, and then went out of the other door.

-----

They all stared at the girl, who seemed nervous to be under their gaze. But she continued to stare at Draken, waiting for an answer.

She wasn't the only one who wanted answers though.

"Draken? Do you know this person?" Hope asked. She looked over at her again, and felt something.

_I feel as though… I have met her. But how can that be? How can I know her? I've never seen her, until now._

She took a look at her aura. It was darkened with sorrow, but brightened by another feeling that Hope could not identify.

Draken looked very uneasy at the situation. He looked away, unsure of what to say. "Um… well…" He sighed, and turned back to them. "I knew I would have to tell you guys eventually, but I didn't think I would have to so soon. Oh well, it can't be helped." He looked over at the Blue Eyes White Dragon. "Thanks for your help. You can leave now."

The Blue Eyes hissed softly one more time before flying away.

"Let's go back for a few minutes, to the top of the crater," Draken suggested. "Then we can talk."

The girl grasped onto her Soul Monster's large hand, and the dragon leapt up at his words, easily flying to the designated area. It landed and lay down, folding back its wings and blinking at them. The girl sat down, leaning against one of its huge wings.

"Show-off," Gaston muttered as they set off.

In a few minutes, they reached the location the girl was in and sat down as well.

Hope was still staring at her. The girl looked up at her, and froze.

_What is this? I have never seen this girl, yet I think we know each other. That cannot be though…_

Draken looked at a loss. "I don't know how to begin…"

The girl examined the group members. "They're the ones you told me about?" Her voice was still quiet, and it seemed as though it would hardly ever rise.

"Some of them," Draken nodded. "The others are elsewhere-I can explain later. But for now, why don't you introduce yourself?"

"Alright…" She smiled shyly at them. "I am delighted to meet you all. I have heard so many wonderful things about all of you. My name is Kisara. My Soul Monster is a Red Eyes Black Dragon, also known as Kazel."

"I am honored," Kazel said. The voice of it was very surprising-it sounded sweet, almost song-like.

"Whoa!" Gaston exclaimed. "You can talk?"

"You thought I couldn't?" Kazel asked, eyes flashing with amusement.

"To be honest, no, I didn't," Gaston replied. "But judging by your voice… you're a female, right?"

"Correct," she responded, in a pleased tone. "Not many catch on to that."

"Nice to meet you as well," Hope replied. "I'm Hope, and this is Gaston. That's Brandi, her Soul Monster is Mana. Fell and Larka are those two, they're brother and sister. Their Soul Monsters are Daine and Malon, respectively. And that's Zack; he doesn't have a Soul Monster. It seems you already know Draken and Darche."

"That we do," Kazel confirmed. "So, now that we know each other, shall we begin telling each other our tales?"

"Well… I guess I'll start explaining to them how I met you two," Draken began. "A while ago, before all that madness with Thanatos began for you guys, I had decided to enter at nighttime to see if anyone was on. I had left earlier that day to read for a bit, but I was bored after a while so I went back in. None of you were on though, so I just wandered around the mountains area."

"But as we were walking, a Blue Eyes White Dragon suddenly came diving down. It told us that it had seen another dragon in trouble, with a girl, and that he wanted my help. So we boarded him and set off."

"He took us to a location nearby the woods and landed softly behind some trees that were a fair distance away. Darche and I approached on our own."

"It turned out that there were two men, with a Zera and Animal King Behemoth as Soul Monsters. They had attacked Kazel, and with their abuse of support cards, she was unable to continue fighting. One of the men was keeping an eye on her while the other was beating up Kisara. Seeing this, I attacked him by using The Fused Sword, Murasame Blade. I ran him through the heart, which shocked me. I had thought that the safeguards were still up to prevent deaths, but it looks as though they are still down… either way, Darche took care of the other guy. The Soul Monsters seemed weakened with the loss of their masters, so the nearby Blue Eyes White Dragon killed them as well."

"But both Kisara and Kazel were in horrible shape, especially Kisara. Kazel was still conscious, so she managed to give me directions to where they live. Kisara's parents died when she was young, so she lives alone except for Kazel. They had no family or friends to look after them, and knowing she couldn't help Kisara much by herself, she agreed with my idea of coming to assist them."

"I gave them a few medication cards-you know, Red Potion and the like. Then after I helped Kisara teleport out, Kazel left, and we instantly went to North Carolina-that's where Kisara lives."

"I never would have guessed," Brandi said sarcastically.

Draken ignored her. "We arrived shortly, and I soon realized that the injuries that had been inflicted on Kisara were too much for a few days work to heal. She also had a fever, which definitely had me feeling anxious. The good news was that Kazel was healing quickly, so at least she would be ok soon. But I knew I couldn't leave long enough to tell you guys where I was. I'm sorry I worried you all."

"It's fine. We understand now," Hope assured. "Please continue."

"After about three days, Kazel was almost completely recovered. The problem was that Kisara still hadn't woken up. I was very worried by this point. But at the end of the fourth day, she finally came around." He laughed. "She was a bit shy at first, but after getting to know each other we spent most of the next day just talking. I told her about you guys, and some of the things we had done."

"Did you tell her everything we did?" Zack inquired.

"Nah, I knew better than that," Draken replied. "On the sixth day, the fever was completely gone and she was good enough to get up and around. So I decided to see how you guys were doing, and entered Teknisk Wereld to try and find all of you."

"When I saw what the situation was like, I knew I had to try and help you guys, so I told Kisara I had to go and that I'd come back in a few days, if I could. I also said that Teknisk Wereld was dangerous at the moment, and that she should stay out of it since she was still a bit weakened. It looks like she didn't care though," he added, looking over at her.

Kisara nodded slightly. "I was worried about what you might be facing, and wanted to see if I could help somehow."

"After all you had done for us, it only seemed fair," Kazel stated.

"Why did those guys attack you in the first place?" Larka asked.

"I was just traveling through the forest when I ran into the two of them. They thought I had overheard them, and in truth, I did hear a bit. They had been talking about a virus of some kind, and how their boss was spreading it…"

"Lackeys of Vlad?" Gaston inferred.

"Most likely, by the sounds of it," Draken confirmed. "But what a coincidence!"

"They attacked, but I fled. When I got outside of the forest Kazel was able to fight, but they overpowered her. I barely managed to stay conscious long enough to see Draken kill them."

"You guys know what else has happened," Draken finished. "I took a taxi here from North Carolina with Darche. Believe me, it was one large fee. Everything since then you've seen as well."

Brandi grinned. "So, is Kisara your girlfriend?"

"What?! Hey! That's not true!" he protested.

Kisara looked alarmed. "We just met… isn't that a bit too serious to consider at the moment?"

"Aw, why not? You two would make a cute couple," Mana teased.

"If you don't shut up now, you're going to join Grendel's corpse in that lava," Draken threatened.

"You're no fun," Mana muttered.

Draken gave Kisara and Kazel a quick summary of what was going on.

"That sounds terrible," Kisara murmured as Draken finished.

"It's dangerous though," Draken stated. "Are you sure you don't want to go back? We can handle this on our own."

"After flying all the way here, we aren't about to leave," Kazel said dryly.

"I guess so," Draken sighed. "Alright then. If you two want to join us, go ahead. Is that ok with the rest of you?"

"Why not?" Larka replied for all of them.

"Then let's get to the other side of this crater," Hope said.

"You won't hear any arguments against that," Brandi replied as they got up.

Kisara stayed with them this time as Kazel flew above, on the lookout for any ambushes that might be waiting. She shortly returned though.

"I saw their base. There appears to be no guards on the outside, but I am not sure what it will be like once you enter."

"Thanks," Hope responded. "So it's just over this crater?"

"Yes."

They soon climbed out, and stared in awe at the building before them.

It was a very tall, light brown building that stood before them. The base was a pentagon, and looked to be about five stories tall. On the top of that building were five towers that were aligned with the corners of the pentagon. They went up to about the top of the volcano, but still could not have been seen by just looking at the volcano. This explained why they had not seen it the first time they had been here.

"It's huge!" Larka gasped.

"And we have to go through it," Draken declared. "You all ready?"

Kazel eyed the building. "I am afraid I will not be able to get in. I will have to return to my Soul Card until you are done in there."

"Alright. We'll see you in a bit," Darche said.

Kisara took out the Soul Card, and Kazel vanished. Then they went up to the door, nervous yet determined.

As they came to the door, they realized it had an electric lock.

"Zack, could you take care of this please?" Hope asked, looking at the number pad.

"Of course." He stepped up to it, holding his left hand over it. It began to glow blue. After several seconds, he input the code, and the door slid open.

"I didn't know you could do that," Brandi commented.

"He did it when we were saving Larka from Viken," Hope explained.

Zack eyed the open doors. "Are you sure you want me to come? This is the last chance for me to leave. If I don't, I may be forced to turn against you."

"We'll take the risks," Larka said.

"Don't you want to kill Vlad?" Draken reminded him. "You are the one who has been most deeply affected by him, after all."

"Yes, that is true," Zack replied. "Very well then. I must thank you all for giving me this chance."

They entered, the door shutting behind them. They had come into a black hallway with emerald green lights on the sides of the walls. They gave the room a shallow illumination, but it was a very creepy atmosphere.

"Nice place," Draken muttered sarcastically.

"Should we activate a Dark Piercing Light?" Hope asked. "I have one if we need to."

"That would give our location away," Zack pointed out.

"But we can barely see!" Mana protested. "So if they ambushed us, we'd be finished!"

"Do not worry," Daine said. "Malon and I will know when someone is waiting for us."

"If you say so," Brandi murmured. She didn't like going on when it was so hard to see, but she saw the wisdom in not having a light.

They went down the hall slowly. As they neared the end of it, Daine and Malon halted.

"There are some soldiers up ahead," Daine said quietly. "Three of those mechanical soldiers and three wolf soldiers. What do you suggest we do?"

Zack brought out his switchblade. "I'll take down the mechanical soldiers. They caught me on surprise with their speed last time, but I should be able to defeat them now. Fell, can you get the wolf soldiers?"

Fell nodded.

"Hope, Kisara, stay towards the back," Gaston ordered. "We'll go first. Draken, you up for some fighting?"

"Let me at them," Draken said, inserting a card into his Duel Disk. The Fused Weapon, Murasame Blade appeared in his hand.

"Don't try to fight them unless they go specifically after the rest of you," Zack ordered. "You could probably destroy the mechanical soldiers, but only Brandi, Fell, and Larka are fast enough to kill the wolf soldiers. And we can't have Brandi go after them unless we're desperate; this is not a good place to be dealing with side effects for tearing your muscles."

"Mana can heal me," Brandi stated.

"True. But let's save those until we get to some higher floors, at least. If Mana runs out of energy, we'll have to resort to support cards, which aren't nearly as effective."

Brandi still looked displeased, but she nodded.

"Let's go then," Zack said, going forward with Fell.

Then Fell lunged forward, going into the room ahead. It was easier to see in, due to the bigger lights there. But the green color still made it hard to see.

But it was all the more advantageous for Fell. His black form melded into the darkness perfectly, and he was able to kill one of the wolf soldiers before it even knew what had happened. Zack also disposed of a mechanical soldier, cutting into the back of its neck. Apparently, just like Zack, that was one of its weak points.

The others realized what was happening and attacked. A mechanical soldier tried to get to the group, but Zack leapt in front of it, halting it. A wolf soldier went after Fell, and they leapt at each other, claws flashing in the air. The other mechanical soldier made it to the group, but Draken was ready. He dodged a blow it sent at him and killed it the same way Zack had.

The last wolf soldier lunged at the group too, but Larka went forward, slashing at it. It jumped back, easily dodging her attack. But while it had been distracted, Brandi had gone behind it. Now she slammed her fist into its head. Its neck snapped as it fell to the ground.

Zack spun aside from his opponent, causing it to stumble past him. That was when he brought down his switchblade, destroying it.

Fell leapt right over his opponent, and as it turned, he brought his clawed hand through the creature's heart.

"That wasn't too bad," Brandi said, ignoring the corpse at her feet.

"Let's hurry on," Hope suggested. "The quicker we get through this place, the happier I will be."

-----

Max looked up as he heard the door open. He felt his mouth go dry as he saw who it was.

"Max…" Abby said, walking in.

He forced himself to speak. "Hi mom."

She sat down on the side of his bed. "How do you feel now?"

"It's painful, but it will go away eventually. Or at least, the physical wounds will."

"But the others will not fade as easily," Abby said softly. "They never do, after all."

Max stared at the ceiling.

"Max, I wanted to tell you something."

"Hm?"

"Don't kill yourself."

Max turned to her. "Why not? I'll die soon enough anyway. Why not stop the pain now?"

"Don't you see how many people depend on you?" Abby said. "All of your friends, Matt, Brandi… they need you, and so do I. You cannot give up on life. If you are still considering it, remember that you will be giving the pain you have to others. Is that what you want?"

Max thought that over, and then sighed. "Alright. I'll stay alive for as long as I get to then, I suppose."

She embraced him very gently, so his wounds would not hurt him any more than they already did. "Thank you." Then she got up. "Matt said he did not want me staying up for too long, so I should probably leave now."

"He has a good reason to worry," Max stated.

She smiled. "I guess so. I'll see you later." Then she left.

Max lay back, thinking over what had occurred.

-----

The group had found a staircase in the next room, and went up it. It led to another dim room with green lights. They stepped into the next hallway and made their way forward.

Daine sniffed the air. "There are more mechanical soldiers ahead. This time, they are in the hallway though. Let us be careful, as we have little room to fight."

"Maybe Fell could sneak up on them again?" Mana suggested.

In response to that, Fell went quietly forward. The others waited.

A crash broke the silence. Fell came bolting back through the hall, stopping a fair distance from the group.

Three more mechanical soldiers ran up, charging at Fell. Zack ran up to assist instantly, while the Soul Monsters went as well.

Fell leapt out of the way of one, and tried to slash the back of its neck. He missed though, scraping the machine's shoulder with a harsh screeching noise. But before it could attack Fell, Daine lunged on it from the behind, sinking his teeth into its weak point.

Mana sent a ball of dark energy flying at another one. To her shock, it did nothing to the mechanical soldier. It went forward to strike her, but halted, and fell to the ground before her.

"It may not have affected him, but it was a good distraction. Thanks," Gaston said, pulling his sword out of its neck.

"No problem. But they must be made with some pretty strong stuff if they can stand against my magic," Mana commented.

Draken slashed at the last mechanical soldier, but this was no better than Mana's attacks. It gave Zack the opportunity he needed though. The switchblade sunk into the thing's neck.

"That was close," Hope commented.

"I don't get it. Weren't you going to ambush them? Yet you came running back here," Brandi said.

"They were expecting me," Fell stated.

"So it looks like all of the soldiers know we're here now," Draken sighed. "That makes things a bit harder, but we can still pull this off."

"I guess that means there's no chance of ambushing them," Gaston inferred. "We should be careful; they move more quietly than us, and know this area better than we do."

They moved on in silence, listening for the smallest hint of the enemy.

Soon, they reached a grey metal door that slid open as they approached. They stepped inside, and it closed as the last person, who happened to be Kisara, came through.

This room was lit up with dark purple lights, which made visibility even worse. However, as the door shut, a red light came down on the group, and another one on the sole person that had been waiting for them.

"Malady…" Hope said softly, stepping forward. A red light followed her as she went closer to her foe, and away from the group.

"So at last, you have arrived," Malady growled.

Gaston ran forward to join his companion. "Hope, get back there! She might attack at any second!"

"You have no need to worry yourself over that," Malady stated. "I will not kill her instantly. No, I have something more painful in mind…"

She closed her eyes, and Hope suddenly saw her aura again. Before, it had been filled with so much hate that Hope had been unable to look at it. But now, even as she flinched away, dropping it, she felt the increased level of detestation at her stab at her fiercely.

Then Malady's eyes opened. Hope stared in horror at them. Her pupils and irises were pure black, and the whites had become red.

"Good God," Draken whispered. Everyone else was too stunned to say anything.

She looked over at Hope, her mouth twisted in an insane grin. "Do you see what I have become? A being that exists to torture others, and lives off of their despair. But it has not been enough. You are the one I want. Now that you are finally facing me, do not expect to leave this room alive!" She reached over to her Duel Disk, turning it on. As she did so, the watchers realized her Duel Disk looked just like Thanatos'.

_They must have given it to him after all…_ Hope realized, turning hers on as well.

"It looks like we have no choice," Gaston said. "But I don't like this at all."

"I don't either," Hope replied. "It would be worse to turn away though. As long as she lives, I will be frightened that she could appear any minute… this time, as much as I am against killing, I will make sure she is dead!"

Hope: 8000

Malady: 8000

Another red light appeared, showing the battle field their cards would appear on.

"You think you can beat me? Highly unlikely," Malady said. The calm words were much more threatening than they usually would be due to that expression of a maniac still on her face. "However, I underestimated you last time. It will not happen again."

Hope did not respond.

"Since I lost last time, I will go first. I lay one monster in defense mode. That is all."

"Alright..." Hope was slightly suspicious; from what she remembered of Malady's deck, there were several magic and trap cards. Yet she had not played any; was she saving them? "I summon Mystic Swordsman Lv2! (900/0) He attacks your monster!"

"He is far too weak to destroy my Stealth Bird. (700/1700)"

"His effect makes up for that! Whenever he attacks a monster in face down defense mode, damage calculation is skipped, and your monster is instantly destroyed."

"Just like that blasted Severing Samurai…" Malady muttered.

"I lay one card down and end my turn!"

"What's with that Mystic Swordsman?" Draken asked. "I've never seen Hope use it before."

"I have not either," Zack stated.

"Oh, that's right… Draken, you weren't here when Matt stopped by, and Zack, you were unconscious at the time," Brandi explained. "He came by and helped upgrade their decks. Actually Zack, I think he might have left you some cards that assist Machines."

"So that's where these came from," he realized, taking out the stack of cards Matt had left. "Hm… this might be my last chance to adjust my deck. If you do not mind, I will do that while Hope is dueling."

"Go ahead. You should have enough time," Darche said.

Hope and Malady had not been listening to the exchange though.

"I lay another monster in defense mode, and place two other cards face down. That's it," Malady told her.

"So you finally laid down a few cards," Hope stated. "I'll activate my face down card, Tempest! This destroys both of your magic or trap cards."

"Afraid not," Malady sneered. "I activate Judgment of Anubis. This counter trap can only be activated when you try to destroy my magic or trap cards with your own, and it requires that I discard one card from my hand to activate it, so I will get rid of Bowgunian. Your Tempest is negated and destroyed, and I choose one of your monsters. You lose Life Points equal to its attack. I will, of course, destroy your Mystic Swordsman."

Hope: 7100

Malady: 8000

"Argh…" Hope growled. "It may not have affected my Life Points that much, but I still needed him… oh well. I'll summon Surprising Matasa! (1300/800) Then I equip him with The Fused Weapon, Murasame Blade. This raises his attack by 800. (2100/800) Matasa attacks!"

"You have destroyed my Death Koala. (1100/1800) However, his reverse effect still activates. You lose 400 Life Points for each card in your hand."

"I have three cards," Hope told her. "So that's 1200 Life Points…"

Hope: 5900

Malady: 8000

"However, Matasa's ability allows him to attack twice. So he attacks again!"

"I will activate Babel Tower in response to your attack. I trust you remember what this does?"

Hope winced. "Yes. Each time one of us plays a magic card, your Babel Tower gets a magic counter on it. The person who adds the fourth magic counter to it loses 3000 Life Points."

"Correct. But your attack still goes through."

Hope: 5900

Malady: 5900

"I can only hope for the best… I end my turn by laying one card down," Hope said.

Malady smirked as she looked at her next card. "I play Jar of Greed, to draw two cards. This also adds a counter to Babel Tower. Then I play Level B Restriction Map."

"That name sounds familiar… I think Amy had it in her deck," Mana commented. "But I don't know what it does."

"Me either," Hope replied.

"It is a permanent magic card that changes all level four or higher monsters on the field to defense mode," Malady explained.

"Hm… well, Matasa is level three, so I don't have to worry about that yet," Hope stated.

"I would think again. I lay a card face down, and play Black Snake Sickness! This adds a third magic counter to Babel Tower as well. Then I end my turn."

Hope paled. "Black Snake Sickness already? I should have known I would face it sooner or later…"

"What does that do?" Kisara asked softly. "I have never seen it used in a duel before…"

Brandi looked over at her Duel Disk, noticing it for the first time. "How often do you duel?"

"Not that frequently," she admitted.

"I see. I think I know what it does, but I'm not sure. I wasn't there when Hope first dueled Malady," Brandi explained.

"I was," Draken said. "On Malady's standby phases, both of them will lose 200 Life Points. On her next one, they'll lose 400, then 800, 1600, and so on. Malady has several cards that do direct damage, so she will usually have higher Life Points. That means she'll manage to live against the Black Snake Sickness while Hope's Life Points fall low enough to be fatal."

"Oh…" Kisara watched anxiously as Hope drew.

Hope sighed in relief at the sight of it. "Whew… I think I just may be able to pull this off."

"I'm afraid not," Malady stated. "If you play any magic cards, you will be on the verge of losing. For now, I activate Destruction Ring on Matasa! This destroys him, and deals Life Point damage equal to his attack to both of us."

"Not to both of us!" Hope declared. "I activate my trap card, Holy Life Barrier!"

The ring of grenades detonated, throwing Malady back. But a clear barrier appeared in front of Hope, stopping the blast from reaching her.

"I have to discard a card to use it, so I'll choose my Sealing Swords of Light. For the rest of this turn, all damage received from you becomes zero."

"Alright! Not only is Hope pretty much immune to damage from Destruction Ring, but she can get rid of Babel Tower now!" Larka exclaimed.

"It also doesn't prevent Malady from taking the damage from her Destruction Ring," Zack pointed out.

Hope: 5900

Malady: 3800

"You still will not be able to win…" Malady growled.

"We'll see about that! I play Calling Reinforcements. This magic card lets me search for a level four or lower Warrior Sub-Type and add it to my hand. It also triggers your Babel Tower, but thanks to Holy Life Barrier it won't do much to me."

The tower exploded, but the barrier came up once more, nullifying the blast.

"Then I summon Silent Swordsman Lv3! (1000/1000) He attacks you directly!"

Hope: 5900

Malady: 2800

"Another level card. What is up with these guys?" Draken muttered.

"I end my turn at that," Hope stated.

"I draw… and Black Snake Sickness activates."

Hope braced herself, but she could not help but cry out as she felt the tattoos burn into her.

"Hope! Are you alright?" Gaston asked anxiously.

"I-I think so…" She forced herself not to scream out again as she felt the agony coming from it. "But it's so much worse than last time…"

"It feeds off of my hatred," Malady smirked. "So now you know just how deep that hatred for you runs."

Unable to support herself on her burning legs, Hope fell to her knees. _This is just for my legs… if Will even felt half of the pain I'm feeling now, and through his whole body, I can't imagine how he has managed to live this long… it would be such terrible torture… we have to get a cure for him, we have to!_

"Can you stand up?" Gaston questioned.

"Yeah…" She shakily rose.

"We each lose 200 Life Points this time," Malady stated. The Black Snake Sickness marks all over her body were glowing a vivid black as she said this.

Hope: 5700

Malady: 2600

"Then I lay one card down, and end my turn."

"I draw, and now that it is my standby phase, I can activate my Silent Swordsman's effect!" Hope announced.

"His effect?"

"Yes. I sacrifice him to search my deck and special summon Silent Swordsman Lv5! (2300/1000)"

Everyone stared at the warrior as he emerged. He wore a dark blue trench coat and white gloves that nearly reached his elbows, along with a black helmet that covered the top portion of his head. He had blond hair, but it was impossible to see his eyes-they were hidden in the shadows, although his confident smirk was not. He carried a blade that was as long as he was tall, if not longer. It was quite wide as well, yet he amazingly held it with just one hand.

Malady did not seem very impressed though. "He may look strong, but it is pointless when he cannot attack."

"That doesn't really matter, seeing as he can attack," Hope grinned.

"What? How?!"

"Silent Swordsman Lv5 isn't affected by your magic effects. Now, he attacks directly!"

She smirked. "It is lucky I had this down then. I activate Magic Cylinder."

Hope: 3400

Malady: 2600

"Dang it…" Hope muttered, getting up from where the blast had knocked her down. "I end my turn."

"I draw, and the Black Snake Sickness activates."

Hope blinked back tears of pain as the snakes coiled upwards. By this time, they had reached her chest.

Hope: 3000

Malady: 2200

"Then I lay one card face down and end my turn."

"I attack with Silent Swordsman!"

"I'm afraid not," she replied, flipping over her face down card. "I activate Gravity Bind, so that no level four or higher monster can attack. Your Swordsman is useless against traps, is he not?"

"Dang it…" Hope muttered. "I end my turn…"

"And Black Snake Sickness activates again."

Hope: 2200

Malady: 1400

"But you'll be dead next turn due to Black Snake Sickness," Gaston pointed out.

"True. But Hope will go with me. I play Hellfire. It deals 500 damage to me and 1000 to her."

Hope: 1200

Malady: 900

"I don't mind losing; my body is adapted to the Black Snake Sickness, after all," Malady smirked. "Hope will not be as lucky though. I end my turn."

"Oh geez… she has to draw something this turn, or it's over!" Draken exclaimed.

"Come on Hope…" Larka whispered. "You can win…"

Hope raised her hand to her Duel Disk shakily. The tattoos had now coiled around her arms, and her whole body was filled with pain. But she drew, and felt relief seep through her.

"I play Cyclone, destroying Gravity Bind!"

"Impossible! How could you manage to draw that, out of all things?!"

"Because I have to win this, but not for just myself! Will needs help, and you were in the way. Silent Swordsman finishes you!"

The swordsman's attack was so fast that Malady did not realize what he had done until he vanished. Pain coursed through her chest, and barely managed to stay standing.

Hope: 1200

Malady: 0

"Nice way to end the duel," Darche commented.

"Awesome! You beat her again!" Draken exclaimed. "I'm having a hard time deciding which of them was better!"

Hope felt the tattoos fade away, as Malady's burned into her. But she staggered towards Hope.

"I have waited too long for this moment… I will not be deprived of the revenge I seek!"

Then the red lights vanished. Alarmed, Hope stepped back.

"Hey! What's going on here?" she heard Mana say.

Hope suddenly heard someone behind her. She turned, and managed to see that it was Malady lunging at her; those insane eyes filled with hatred were the only thing she could see though.

Then she abruptly halted, eyes widening. And as she fell, right before her eyes shut forever, Hope thought she saw peace within them.

"Who was that?" Larka's voice said.

Hope took a few minutes trying to speak. "It… it was Malady."

"Damn it! Where did all the lights go?" Draken complained.

As he said that, the red and green lights came back on, illuminating the room. Hope saw the corpse of Malady lying in front of her, the black glow of the snake tattoos dying away. There was a sword buried in her back, between her shoulder blades.

"Gaston? Did you do that?" she asked as he approached the corpse.

"Yes. I heard her coming and didn't have much time to think. I'm sorry I was so reckless though… what if it had hit you?"

"It's alright. I trust you," she assured. "You did the right thing. If you hadn't, she would have killed me."

"You threw that in the dark and still hit her? That isn't an easy feat," Zack commented, putting away the cards he had decided he would not use and sliding his refined deck into his Duel Disk.

"Gaston's certainly good with the sword," Draken commented. "But I wasn't aware he could throw it."

"I practiced a bit," Gaston explained. "After seeing Will's skill with the kunai I just thought it might help someday. I'd prefer not having to rely on it though."

"I don't blame you," Darche agreed. "Swords are meant to stay in your hand, after all."

Kisara was staring at the corpse of Malady. Draken noticed what she was looking at. "Hey, is something wrong?"

She looked up at him. "I have never seen someone die until you killed those two men that were attacking me, and until now. The soldiers were different… they were mindless killers. But this… it's just something I am not used to."

"I doubt you ever will be used to it," Draken said. "I've killed several people, and I still don't like it. But sometimes, we have to kill some to save many."

"That is true…" Kisara murmured. But she still looked saddened.

"Well, shall we go on?" Brandi asked. "It's good that Malady's out of the way, but we still have to deal with Viken and Vlad."

Gaston had wiped the blood off his sword with Malady's shirt, and put it back onto his belt. "Yes. Let's go on."

They proceeded through the door on the other side to another hallway, this time with the green lights. They continued down it until they found another room, with another staircase. This they went on, Zack first and Kisara last.

-----

Vlad raised an eyebrow as he listened. "So, Malady is dead… I almost regret that. She was quite useful, despite her flaws. But I have all of the Black Snake Sickness from her that I need anyway… so I suppose it does not matter." He smiled coldly to himself. "I wonder how Viken will fare."

To be continued…


	19. Experiments

Another snow day! I love it!

John: Eh? Why would she hate Knight of White Dragon? She doesn't really hate Severing Samurai, it just ticks her off a bit.

**Chapter 19: Experiments**

They reached the top of the staircase, and found themselves in yet another empty room. Without hesitation they started down the hall.

Soon they reached another metal door, which opened as they entered.

It was pitch-black inside, but Daine snarled almost instantly, and Malon barked fiercely.

Hearing them, Fell acted on instinct and leapt ahead, barely avoiding a slash from a wolf soldier. The others in the group were not so lucky. Larka had jumped away as well, but she ran right into another one who grabbed her arms, trapping them. Everyone else did not even have a chance to fight back before the wolf soldiers trapped them.

"Alright, good," they heard someone say. "This will work well."

Then the green lights came on, as long as some white ones that landed over the group members. Each one had a wolf soldier holding their arms behind their backs, making their Duel Disks and weapons impossible to use. Daine was being held down by one wolf soldier, while another one grasped onto Malon. It did not have any trouble holding onto him, even though he squirmed and bit.

The only one who was not in that position was Fell. He had gotten away in time from the other soldiers, but there were three others waiting behind him. He tensed, seeing them, but they did not make any move to attack, so he turned his attention to the one standing in front of him.

The wolf soldier standing before him looked much different than the others. He wore black armor on the upper portion of his body and blue pants on his lower. He also had black shoes and gloves. His face had a mask that concealed it. The mask had black hair covering it, much like wolf's fur. Out of his forehead produced a long, narrow, white horn. He did have long black hair that went to the ground though, along with yellow eyes and sharp finger-nail like claws though, like all the other wolf soldiers had. However, he was armed with a weapon as well. A curved black sword was sheathed in a silver belt, easily accessible if he needed it.

"You don't look like the other wolf soldiers," Larka said, breaking the silence. "Who are you?"

"So, you can tell I'm intelligent. That is because I am the leader of the pack my master has produced. I am called Rouki."

"What do you want from us?" Draken demanded.

"My master likes to take others alive, since they can always be used for future experiments," Rouki smirked. "So, if you do not resist, you have a last chance at living."

"Why would we accept that? Death would probably be better!" Brandi pointed out.

"Maybe so, but there is always the chance he would feel generous and let you leave one day. As long as there is life, there is hope… I believe that is what you humans say."

"Weren't you once human?" Hope inquired.

"Once. I remember nothing of it. Why would I care?" He flexed his clawed hands. "This power I have been granted far surpasses anything I could have had as a human. This glorious power… you can experience it too, if you surrender."

Silence met this statement, but Rouki did not seem concerned. He turned to Fell, who had been watching silently. "Of course, you and your sister already had a chance at this, but you did not take it. But that's to be expected… all you are is a prototype, after all. Your sister… she was obedient enough to our master's wishes. She did as asked, because she realized he was dominant over her. But you… you always resisted. You even had the nerve to try and kill my master." He smiled coldly. "A good prototype should always do as asked of it. Why else would it be created? You need to be taught a lesson in obedience before you are fit to be tested on again. We can begin that education now." He indicated to the group. "We'll start off with simple enough commands. First, take off your Duel Disk and toss it to the side, along with any support cards you have. Then clasp your hands behind you, and stand still."

Fell gazed at him, eyes expressionless.

"You are more intelligent than any wolf soldier besides your sister and, of course, myself. If my subordinates can understand and follow straightforward orders such as those, you are more than capable of doing so as well. Or perhaps you do not care about the fate of your friends?"

"Did he just say we were Fell's friends?" Draken muttered.

Fell still did not respond.

"You will follow my commands," Rouki stated. "If you refuse to obey, I will have to kill your companions over there. Lessons must be taught, and I do not mind going to such measures to make sure you learn what you need to."

"He might as well kill us now," Draken sighed. "Fell isn't about to do anything to help us…"

Rouki turned his gaze to him. "I advise not speaking out of turn. You will be the first to die, as an example for your other companions. You must learn to follow all orders before you have the honor of meeting my master. Of course, they may be killed anyway if they do not cooperate… although my master would prefer more specimens, he only needs his two prototypes…"

Another wolf soldier standing nearby was at Draken's side at an instant, holding up a clawed hand. But then it froze as a clank echoed through the room, and it turned back to look at the two in the center of the room.

Fell stood in front of Rouki, grasping his wrists behind his back. His Duel Disk lay a few feet away from him, along with several cards that had been scattered. He continued to stare at Rouki. Still his eyes betrayed nothing.

"I can't believe it…" Draken whispered. "He's going along with him?"

"Fell…" Larka said softly, her face betraying her worry.

"Much better," Rouki sneered, walking up to him. "You're beginning to understand how it is. The quicker you obey orders, and the more accurate you are with them, the better off it will be for you. And your next one is to stay still while I teach you why this is so. I had to tell you what to do three times, so three times the amount of pain should be sufficient…" Then, without warning, he slammed his fist into Fell's stomach.

Fell held his ground for the first one, but two more in quick succession caused him to stagger back, coughing up blood. The group was watching in horror from the side of them. They saw Fell let go of his arms for a second, before he forced himself to grab them again. This time, he held on so tightly that his fingernails cut into his skin.

"Why is he letting Rouki do this?" Draken asked in astonishment as he watched the wolf leader strike him again. "Fell doesn't care about anyone but himself… and maybe Larka. Is that why he's putting up with it? Because he doesn't want Larka being hurt?"

"That makes no sense," Brandi replied. "Rouki said she would be living, remember? Viken wants the two of them alive at least."

"But if that isn't it, then what is his reason?" Draken questioned.

Hope brought up his aura, and was shocked to see what it now looked like. Before, it had been completely dark, except for a bit of white light for his sister and something she could not identify. But now she could tell what it was. It was a desperate need for comrades. He wanted to know people he could trust and could call his friends. He was afraid of the pain it would bring, but not physically, as Rouki was doing; he was wary of the mental pain that would occur when the friends he finally made would die, leaving him alone. Yet something was driving him to protect them…

She let it fade. "He's doing it to save us."

"That can't be…" Draken protested. "He doesn't care about us at all…"

"I have told you before that my master does care about all of you," Daine stated. "He tries to distance himself to lessen the pain of loss when it will eventually hit him, but he can no longer do that. He has realized that to do what is right in his heart, he must accept the fact that he cares for you all."

None of them could think of a response to that. They looked back over to see Rouki to land a fierce blow that caused Fell to spit out more blood. Yet he still wore the same expressionless look.

Rouki paused, looking into his eyes. "Common wolf soldiers have been taught to not be able to feel pain. It makes them better at following orders, after all. But a prototype such as yourself should be able to feel pain. I want you to show me that you know what this pain is! Show me that you can feel what I am doing to you!" Then, he lashed out once more, causing Fell to stumble back again.

But he came forward, his expression unchanged.

"I suppose I am not doing enough harm then," Rouki stated. "Then I will just have to cause enough pain to get this through your head."

He brought up his clawed hand and slashed Fell across his right shoulder with it. He continued to slash away, causing agony wherever he struck. As he attacked, he talked some more.

"All you are is a prototype. You can't hope to withstand pain such as this. Being a prototype has made you weak in both body and mind; you are being brought to a point close to death when you could have just let those worthless humans die. I don't know how you managed to kill my master, being as pathetic as you are. Still, you did, and for that you must suffer…"

Larka was unable to stand watching anymore and looked to the floor, her eyes blurring with unshed tears. But then she saw something.

Fell's support cards had been scattered all over the area nearby his Duel Disk. But there was another card lying next to her. It was a significant distance away from the others; it couldn't be a coincidence, could it?

Larka knew that even if she could get away from the wolf soldiers, she would not be able to pick a support card out of the several she had in time to defeat them. She couldn't tell what the card Fell had thrown nearby her was, but she would have to rely on it. It was their only chance at getting away.

She looked up and saw Rouki raising his clawed hand once more, before bringing it down onto Fell's chest. This deep wound, combined with others, was too much for him. He collapsed onto his knees, still keeping a firm grip on his arms.

"See? This is the difference in power between a prototype and a perfected creature. You could not even hope to be able to scratch me, while I can easily kill you any minute I want to." And he brought down his hand once more.

That was when Larka turned her gaze to her Soul Monster. "Malon, now!"

The puppy had been lying limply in the wolf soldier's grasp. But as she said that, his back paws shot out against the wolf soldier and he used the new leverage to tear himself away from his captor. He leapt straight at the one restraining Larka, and caught onto its arm with his teeth. The wolf soldier instinctively let go of Larka to deal with Malon. As soon as he did, she immediately lunged for the card lying on the floor. Without looking at it, she grabbed it and slid it into her Duel Disk.

A yellow vortex suddenly appeared, swirling around the room. The wolf soldiers were thrown aside by it, crashing into the walls with great force. Nobody in the group was effected, nor was Rouki. As the vortex faded away, the wolf soldiers fell to the ground. The group was amazed to see that their backs had snapped.

Rouki eyed them calmly. "Clever. However, it is a pity that it did not work on me, isn't it? You see, now that you have done that, I can't let you leave alive." Then he lunged at them.

But Fell attacked from the behind, knocking him away from the group. Rouki landed and turned, looking over at him with amusement. "You can still fight, I see. But for how long?"

Fell was covered with cuts, all bleeding. His chest wound was the worst, but the others did not help either. He could barely stay standing from the blood he had lost combined with the pain.

He had his back to the group, and did not turn. "Go on. Find Viken and Vlad, and kill them. I will stay here."

"You can't!" Larka protested. "You're wounded too badly to consider fighting him!"

"I will do this," Fell growled. "This is the one I must fight. I have already defeated Viken before. Sister, it is your turn to do the same."

Her eyes widened. "Me, beat Viken? But…"

"You must. It is the only chance you will have to do so," Fell stated. "He is a demon of your past, so overcome him."

Larka slowly nodded, and then realized that Fell was still not looking at them. "Alright then. Everyone, let's get out of here."

"You are sure about this?" Zack inquired.

"Yes," was Fell's response.

Larka ran over to the opposite door, pulling it open. "Come on everyone!"

They all ran into the new hallway except for Daine. "Master, I cannot abandon you!"

"This is something I must do on my own."

"But master…!"

"Come on Daine," Brandi said impatiently. "We still need you and Malon for finding where the wolf and mechanical soldiers are. So get over here now, or we'll have to leash you!"

Daine reluctantly turned and walked over to them, glancing over at Fell as he left. As he came into the hall as well, Larka went to shut the door.

"Wait!" Draken said. He went back into the room, inserting a card.

A blood red glow appeared around Fell. He glanced at Draken questioningly.

"Compensation of Blood," he explained. "It'll restore the blood you lost and prevent you from losing any for an amount of time. I don't know how long it will last though, so the quicker you kill Rouki, the better. Now go get him!"

Fell nodded once, and then lunged at Rouki without warning. But the wolf leader had decided to get serious. He drew his black sword and slashed at Fell, who barely managed to dodge it.

"This is my Crescent Blade," Rouki stated. "You will not be able to win, especially when I carry this sword."

Fell did not seem impressed. He tried to attack, but was forced to leap back as the sword came at him again.

"Draken, come on!" Hope urged. "We have to go on!"

With a final glance at the fight, Draken ran over to them. Larka pulled the door closed, and they went down the hallway.

"I can only hope that he will be ok…" Daine said sadly.

"We have to have faith in him," Kisara said.

"Yeah," Hope agreed. "We can worry about Fell later. Right now, we have to deal with Viken and Vlad."

"I get the feeling we'll run into Viken next," Brandi stated. "Larka, I assume you'll want to duel him?"

"Yes. Fell was right… I have to face him now."

"Oh, by the way, what card did you use?" Gaston asked.

"I don't know. It was Fell's. It was the only card nearby us, so I thought he might have wanted me to use it…" She took it out and read it. "Messiah of Ant Hell. In the game, it destroys all level three monsters or lower that were summoned that turn at the end phase of that turn."

"So… those wolf soldiers were just too weak to stand up against it, but Rouki did since he was stronger?" Brandi inferred.

"That sounds right," Larka replied, taking the card out of her Duel Disk and storing it with her spare cards.

By this time, they had come to another room with another staircase.

"Well, let's go on," Hope said as they went up.

-----

Vlad sighed. "That stupid Rouki… did Viken forget to give him common sense? Well, if Viken can stop them, then I see no problems. But if he fails… then I suppose I will have to deal with them personally."

-----

After ascending the staircase, they were once more in an empty room. Since they were used to this pattern, they instantly went over to the hall.

Soon they reached the metal door, which slid open for them. Larka nervously went in first with Malon beside her, his teeth bared. The others came in behind her.

This room had dark purple lights to accompany the green ones. One of the purple lights outlined Larka and Malon. Another was on the rest of the group. The third was on the one they had been expecting to be waiting for them.

"So, you made it here," Viken stated. He looked around at the group. "But without one of the specimen. I assume he stayed to fight Rouki?" He smirked. "How the roles have reversed! Your brother is becoming the soft hearted one, trying to defend his companions, while you are the one who kills! Such interesting results that I would never have anticipated…"

"You're wrong," Larka snarled. "It's true that Fell cares about us, but I still do too. And I don't needlessly kill! The only person I have killed when I was not influenced by the full moon is Abram, and if he hadn't been killed, we would have died. And when I kill you, it will be so that you will not come back to torture us!"

Viken laughed. "Even if I do die, the memories you have of me will never fade. You will plagued forever by what I have done."

Larka closed her eyes, unable to respond to that.

"Maybe so, but old wounds heal," Zack stated.

Everyone turned and looked at the cyborg in surprise.

"They scar over, and never go away completely, but the pain is lessened until you only feel it occasionally. And when it does pain you, it is nowhere near as agonizing as it was before. Events will occur that will make them the wounds to the heart do this. I know that better than anyone."

Larka looked over at him, and smiled gently. "Thanks. I understand now." Then she brought her attention back to Viken. "I will turn to healing, but not until the bringer of that pain is out of my life forever!"

"Bold words. You have gotten braver as well," Viken stated, before turning on his Duel Disk. It was the same as Malady's and Thanatos'.

Larka turned on hers as well. "I can only hope I have. I'll need all the courage I can get to complete our quest. Because this location, these enemies we are fighting, are only one part of a long journey we still need to reach the end of."

Larka: 8000

Viken: 8000

"After losing to your brother, it's only fair that I should go first," Viken stated.

"But your deck lets you win first turn!" Hope protested.

Viken looked at his hand. "I wouldn't worry about that this turn. I lay one monster in defense mode and one other card as well. That's it."

With an inward sigh of relief that he had not had his combo, Larka drew. "I summon Dunamis Valkyria. (1800/1050) She attacks your defense monster!"

"It's my Quick Squirrel. (1000/100) When destroyed in battle, I gain 1000 Life Points. I can also special summon up to two more in defense mode."

Larka: 8000

Viken: 9000

"Fine. I lay a card of my own and end my turn."

Viken smirked when he saw what he had drawn. "I activate Theft, equipping it to Dunamis Valkyria. Now she is on my side of the field. Then I sacrifice her for Catapult Turtle. (1000/2000) Then I lay another card down and end my turn."

"I have to destroy that Catapult Turtle," Larka murmured. "I summon Volt Girl! (1900/800) She attacks your Catapult Turtle!"

"I will activate Book of the Moon in response," Viken declared. "This instant magic card forces your Volt Girl to go into face down defense mode."

"Dang it… I end my turn," Larka said.

"I flip summon Quick Squirrel and shift Catapult Turtle to defense mode. I lay one card down and have Quick Squirrel attack Volt Girl. That is all."

"My turn… and I summon Wandering Hero, Freed. (1700/1200) He attacks your Quick Squirrel!"

"I activate my trap card, Gravity Bind," Viken responded. "Now no monster that is level four or above can attack."

"Argh… I lay one card down and that's it."

"Ah… at last," Viken sneered. "I will first sacrifice both of my Quick Squirrels for Catapult Turtle's effect. You lose 500 Life Points from each one, so 1000 in all."

Larka: 7000

Viken: 9000

"Then I summon Magical Scientist. (300/300) Do you remember what his effect does?"

"Yes…" Larka said. "You pay 1000 Life Points to special summon a level six or lower monster from your fusion deck."

"Correct."

"So that's what his theme is," Brandi realized. "It makes sense though."

"If Larka cannot stop him, then she has lost," Kisara stated.

"She probably has some idea of what to do," Hope assured. She still looked nervous though.

"So now I pay 3000 Life Points to special summon three Crimson Birds! (2300/1800)"

Larka: 7000

Viken: 6000

Larka grinned. "I was waiting for you to do that. Now I can activate Destruction Ring! This will destroy your Catapult Turtle and do 1000 damage to each of us!"

Larka: 6000

Viken: 5000

"Alright! She got him!" Gaston exclaimed.

"I'm afraid not," Viken smirked. "I activate my trap card, Cry of the Living Dead. Catapult Turtle is brought back from the Cemetery in face up attack mode."

"No…" Larka groaned. "I can't do anything this time…"

"I sacrifice all three Crimson Birds for Catapult Turtle's effect!"

One of the large birds flew onto the Catapult Turtle's launcher. Then it was launched, and flew right into Larka. She barely had time to get her balance back before the other two hit her, causing her to fly back.

Larka: 2550

Viken: 5000

"Larka!" Brandi shouted. "Can't you do something?!"

"No… he has me…" Larka said softly, eyes closed.

"Very good," Viken smiled coldly. "Now, I pay 3000 more Life Points to special summon Thunderous Giant Water Snake, Empress Who Delivers Judgment, and Eagle of Judgment! (2100/1800) (2100/1700) (2100/1800)

Larka: 2550

Viken: 2000

"Now I launch them!" he said triumphantly.

Larka suddenly smirked. "Got you."

"What?"

"I activate Holy Life Barrier! By discarding Magic Reflector Reflect Bounder, all damage you do to me becomes zero!"

The first monster launched, the Water Snake, crashed into the barrier that appeared around Larka and exploded. The other two monsters met the same fate.

"Damn it! I played right into that!" Viken snarled.

"Yes, you did. So, is that all?" Larka asked.

"It is," he growled.

"I'll start by summoning Mimic Illusionist! (0/0) He copies one of your monsters' base stats when summoned, so I choose Catapult Turtle's. (1000/2000) Then I equip him with Shine Castle! This raises a Light Main-Type's attack by 700. (1700/2000) He attacks your Magical Scientist!"

"I activate Life Absorber in response!" Viken announced.

"What does that do?"

"It's a permanent trap card that is activated during my standby phase. It restores half of the Life Points I paid during my previous turn."

"That's not good…" Larka murmured.

"But your attack does go through."

Larka: 2550

Viken: 600

"I lay one card down and end my turn," Larka said.

"I draw, and then gain 3000 Life Points due to Life Absorber."

Larka: 2550

Viken: 3600

"Then I play Early Burial. This equip card costs 800 Life Points, but it allows me to special summon one monster from my Cemetery in face up attack mode. So I choose Magical Scientist!"

Larka: 2550

Viken: 2800

Larka sighed. "I can't let you do that. I chain your special summoning with Tidal Wave! This destroys all of our monsters!"

Looking furious, Viken snarled, "That's it."

"If I can just draw what I need…" Larka said softly. Then she drew, and looked at her card with a smile. "Alright! I play Tempest! This destroys both your Gravity Bind and your Life Absorber!"

"That doesn't mean you have won," Viken stated.

"Actually, it does. I summon Blade Knight! (1600/1000) His effect activates as well. If I have one or no cards in my hand, then he gains 400 more attack points. (2000/1000)"

"But you have no more cards in your hand," Viken smirked. "So you can't kill me this turn."

"You're wrong. Malon!"

Malon's mournful howl echoed throughout the room as a Volt Girl appeared. (1900/800)

"What? How?!"

"Malon's Deck Master ability lets me special summon a level four or lower Light Main-Type monster from my deck. So I chose Volt Girl! Now, Blade Knight attacks and Volt Girl finishes you off!"

Larka: 2550

Viken: 0

"No! That can't be!" Viken protested. "I lost again? Damn it all… I swore I would have revenge on you and your brother, and I will!" Viken took out a syringe and put it to his arm.

Larka leapt forward before she could think about what she was doing, bringing her clawed hand forward. It tore through his body, emerging from his back.

Everyone stared in a horrified amazement at the scene. Viken, standing because Larka's arm that also was killing him was supporting him, coughed up a large amount of blood. Larka winced as the blood hit her, staining her clothes and skin.

"If only… I had time... to look into this," Viken managed to gasp out. "You two… prototypes were… always… so intriguing… I never… thought you… would be my killer… your brother seemed… much more… fit… for… that…" Then he collapsed.

Larka sank down to her knees, not noticing the bloody floor, shaking violently as the others went over to her.

"Are you hurt?" Brandi asked. Malon whined, concerned.

"No… just appalled… I'm glad he's gone, but I wish I didn't have to be the one to do it!" It was at this time that the others noticed she was crying. "I knew I would have to kill eventually, but I still wasn't prepared! I don't want to have to kill anybody else! I know I couldn't have let Viken live, but I still feel so guilty…"

Brandi pulled Larka away from the bloody area on the floor, and then went down next to her. "Remember what you told me that day I killed Madura? The same thing can be said now. You'll feel guilty, but you'll get over it soon enough. Also, realize that you saved more innocents from torture and death by killing him."

"Yeah… it's just so sudden… and…" Larka still shook slightly, but she was calming down.

"You had to," Zack stated. "This time, he is dead. You had to make sure of that. A quick death such as that is much better than leaving him alone to torture countless others. And you know he will never be back to haunt you."

"Yes… you're both right," Larka said, rising. "Thanks."

"Do you want to go on?" Kisara asked.

"Yes. In fact, I've already wasted too much time for you guys. We don't know how long Will has to live and Fell is still battling… let's hurry!"

"Sounds good to me!" Hope replied as they went on through the other metal door.

-----

Neo had felt helpless before, but watching Will as he cried out and snarled in pain from the virus was tearing at him. He knew of no way that he could comfort him or lessen the agony, although he wished with all his heart he could.

But then, instead of another agonized scream, he heard Will say something.

"This is the final battle. Zack, be careful!"

To be continued…


	20. Rage of the Saint Dragon

This is it. At last, the final chapter in this arc has been reached!

Demon Fan: Yes, Will dies. Game over. We're all screwed. End of story… OR you could read on and see what happens. As for Viken dying, I thought that each Fell and Larka should have their chance for revenge.

John: Let us see, shall we?

**Chapter 20: Rage of the Sky Dragon**

Vlad shook his head. "So Viken is dead as well… I suppose I have no choice. I will be the one to slay them." He smirked. "I do not foresee much difficulty in that though."

-----

Fell jumped away from Rouki as the wolf leader lashed out again. He had spent most of his time in the fight so far dodging, and had not been able to get any hits in.

Rouki, on the other hand, had managed to slice into him a few times. The pain was great, but thanks to Compensation of Blood, he was still able to fight.

Rouki charged at him again. Fell leapt aside and lunged at him. Rouki swiftly turned, slamming his free hand into Fell. As he staggered back, Rouki brought down his sword.

Fell twisted away from it, but his left arm was still injured. A long cut ran down it. Now it would be nearly useless to Fell; luckily for him, he was right handed. But it was still a hindrance.

He leapt out of the way of another attack, his mind racing. He had to take down Rouki quickly, but he couldn't see how.

-----

After the hallway was the usual room with a staircase. They went up it and emerged in another empty room, like before.

But when they went down the next hallway, they came to a split. There were three directions to go; four including the way they had come.

"Where do we go now?" Draken wondered.

Daine sniffed the ground. "Vlad has been in all three. Let us begin with the room to the left."

"Fair enough," Darche replied.

They had only walked a short distance when they came across another metal door. However, this one did not automatically open for them as others had.

"Another electronic lock," Hope realized.

"Hang on a second." Zack concentrated on it, and then inserted the code. The door opened instantly.

This room was the first one they had seen with enough light to see by. The light in here was overwhelming, causing them to be blinded for a second after all the dark hallways and rooms they had trekked through. Their eyes soon adjusted though, and they could see where they were.

It was a huge laboratory. Tables filled with equipment, machines that were currently off, and other such things were scattered everywhere. They saw three glass tubes that were big enough to fit humans as well, along with three metal tables with glass coverings that could do the same.

"Viken's laboratory?" Draken assumed.

"He probably wasn't the only one working here," Brandi stated. "Vlad has other scientists too, most likely."

Larka noticed that Zack had grown strangely quiet. "Zack? What is wrong?"

"I feel like I've been here before…" Zack closed his eyes, trying to recall where he had seen this room. When that got him nowhere, he looked around it. It was when he saw the metal examining table that was in the corner of the room that he remembered. "That's it! This is where I was brought back to life!"

"They did it here?" Mana shivered.

"Yes. I've actually been in this base before. They must have deleted it from my memory with very high-tech equipment… I couldn't even remember anything about this place until coming in here."

"Well, we can't stay here," Hope said. "We have to find Vlad quickly!"

"True." Zack looked over the room one more time, and then they left.

"The one to the right this time?" Daine suggested as they went on.

"Alright, let's check it out," Gaston agreed.

They soon reached it, and found another electronic lock. Zack once more unlocked it, and although he seemed somewhat weary from the three locks he had needed to deal with, he was still able to keep up the pace easily enough.

There were six doors in this new, once more lit up room. Each one had a label as to what was inside.

"Vlademir, Viken, Malady, General Workers, Wolf Soldiers, and Mechanical Soldiers," Hope read. "I guess we aren't in the correct location. Let's go back out."

This time, they took the center path, which had one last electronic lock. After Zack took care of it, they went inside.

They were in yet another room with lights. There was a large table there, but it had nothing on it. There were also various pieces of equipment in the room. But only one was turned on. It was a huge, metal ball that was on a black pedestal. The ball crackled with energy that passed between it and the pedestal.

"What is that thing?" Brandi asked.

"Let me check." Zack gently placed his left hand on the ball, ignoring the electricity. Then he stepped back. "That's what controls all of the mechanical soldiers. It's their core, and gives them directions on what to do."

"Really? Then if we destroy it, they'll lose their power and won't be able to do anything, right?" Draken asked.

"Yes, so we should probably destroy it," Zack stated.

"Leave it to me!" Draken brought forth The Fused Weapon, Murasame Blade. "Step back guys! I'll take this thing out in one swing!"

"Wait!" Zack protested. "You should turn it off first, or else it will probably…"

He was too late. The explosion sent Draken flying across the room, the sword vanishing instantly. He landed on the ground, and rose shakily.

"Whoa…" Draken said. "I didn't expect that to happen."

"I was going to say that you should have turned it off first, or else it would have probably exploded due to the electrical currents," Zack said dryly.

"Thanks for the warning," Draken grumbled.

"Are the wolf soldiers controlled in a similar way?" Hope wondered.

"It's possible, but if they are, the core is not inside this room," Zack answered. "We should move on."

They went over to the other door in the room. It slid open, and they found a staircase behind it.

Daine sniffed the staircase, and then the air. "Vlad is up there. Be on guard."

Malon growled softly as he smelled Vlad's scent as well.

"Then I'll go first," Zack decided. "Follow at a short distance; if it's an ambush, we won't all get caught at once."

"Sounds good to me," Draken said.

They emerged on the roof. It was still in the dead of night, with several stars out. The full moon may have been over, but it still cast enough light to easily see by.

Standing in front of them was Vlad. He held the radio-like device and had a Duel Disk strapped on that was like the ones Thanatos, Malady, and Viken had carried.

Seeing him, Kisara immediately brought out her Soul Card. Kazel appeared, glancing down at Vlad. Now that they were on the roof, there was more than enough room for her.

"Vlad…" Zack growled. "Are you going to hide behind more soldiers, or will you face me this time?"

"You have all made it this far; I will give you the opportunity to duel me," Vlad said. "It is only fair, after all."

"Wait! What about that control device?" Larka demanded. "It wouldn't be fair if you took control of Zack in the middle of the duel and made him lose or forfeit!"

"True," Vlad agreed. "I am not cheap enough to do that though. Since you don't trust me though…" He took out the remote control and tossed it to Larka, who caught it. "You may hold onto that until the end of the duel. If you win, you have the right to destroy it, if that's what you want to do. So, are you ready?"

"Definitely," Zack said, turning on his Duel Disk. Vlad did the same.

Zack: 8000

Vlad: 8000

"My two henchmen got to go first, so I guess you deserve to go first this time," Vlad stated.

"Fine by me. I summon Bowgunian. (1300/1000) Then I lay one card down and end my turn."

"Already going aggressive? That may not be such a good idea with such a weak monster," Vlad commented. "I lay one monster in defense mode, and three cards face down. That is it."

"I'm not planning on attacking with Bowgunian," Zack said as he drew. "It's his effect I wanted. On each of my standby phases, he does 600 damage to you."

Zack: 8000

Vlad: 7400

"I switch Bowgunian to defense mode and lay one monster in defense mode. I'll also lay another card down. It's your move."

Vlad smirked at what he had drawn. "Already, I have nearly won! First, I summon Magic Freight Car Bokoichi. (500/500)"

Zack eyed the train-like creature that had appeared. "It doesn't seem that strong."

"It isn't in my deck to be strong. You see, my next card is Machine Replication Factory! This allows me to choose a monster with 500 attack or less on my side of the field and special summon up to two more from my deck. So I special summon two more Magic Freight Car Bokoichis. Then I flip summon my face down monster, Magic Locomotive Dekoichi. (1400/1000) Its reverse effect allows me to draw one card for each Magic Freight Car Bokoichi I have on the field. So I get to draw three cards."

"You have still left four fairly weak monsters exposed," Zack pointed out.

"True, but I have my reasons. Now, Dekoichi attacks your Bowgunian!"

"Bowgunian may have been destroyed, but I can bring it back! I activate Time Machine. I can use this to bring back a monster that was destroyed in battle in face up attack mode. So I will revive Bowgunian."

"Irritating pest. I end my turn."

"Bowgunian does 600 more damage to you."

Zack: 8000

Vlad: 6800

"Then I sacrifice my face down Air Guard Gear Golem (800/2200) for Immense Battleship Big Core! (2300/1100)"

"There's a new card," Draken commented as the huge ship appeared. "It looks like he found some cards that he liked out of what Matt had to offer."

"When he is summoned, he gets three counters. I'll explain what these do when necessary. For the meantime, I'll have Bowgunian attack your Bokoichi!"

"I can't let you get away with that," Vlad said. "I activate Attack Nullification to halt your attack and end your battle phase."

"Very well. I end my turn."

Vlad looked at his next card and smiled coldly. "Now I have won."

"Can you prove that?" Zack questioned.

"If you want me to," Vlad smirked. "I sacrifice all three of my Magic Freight Car Bokoichis for Saint Dragon-God of Osiris!"

"What?!" Zack exclaimed.

"Osiris? It can't be!" Brandi protested.

The clear night sky suddenly began to be swiftly covered by thick clouds. Lightning danced around the clouds as they concealed the sky completely. Then the god appeared. It was just as they remembered it from the picture; a red, snake-like dragon that's infinitely long body emerged in some areas and stayed concealed by the clouds in others. Its hard, black scales on its underneath glistened in the lightning. It had several red wings, feet with three white claws on each, and many red spikes. On its forehead was a dark blue jewel that gleamed. It had two mouths, each filled with many sharp, silver teeth. Its fierce yellow eyes glared down at Zack, who was frozen in both fear and awe.

"So, you know what the god cards are? I should have known you would," Vlad said.

Hope was not listening to him though. This creature was just like Obelisk; she felt as though it was familiar, as if they were bonded. She was caught in the yellow creature's gaze as she heard voices.

_Two unsealed… _

_Osiris__, the secondary…_

_Another piece to the essence…_

_Only one more restrainer to cast away…_

_I was a fool to listen…_

_I am being reborn…_

_You cannot hold me forever, as we are equal…_

_All must remain in balance…_

_I will not follow you any longer…_

_Obey my commands…_

_I must have the three gods…_

_Come to me, my servants…_

_Become what you really are…_

_The truth will drive you into madness._

Hope gasped, falling back as she grasped onto her head.

"Hope! What's wrong? Are you alright?" Gaston asked, kneeling down next to her.

"Yeah…" She looked down at her orb shakily. It was overpowered with light, then darkness, then light… but was it a coincidence that the darkness remained longer than the light whenever it appeared?

-----

Rue was sitting at the chair he usually did, looking out the window. Claire had already gone home, and Ruecian was asleep. But he was not tired, so he just looked out of the window.

Then he felt a jolt. Looking around in alarm, he heard something.

_"That's another one unlocked. Only one more to unseal, eh? He's doing pretty well so far."_

Ever since the incident with Kouten, Rue had not heard him speak. But he remembered who that was.

_Demon Rue?!__ What do you mean?!_

_"You'll see… ask your friends for details when they come back. They should know."_

_Hey! You're not getting away that easily!_

There was no response.

_Damn you…_

-----

"I suppose I should explain how Osiris works," Vlad said to the stunned group. "His stats are the number of cards in my hand times 1000. So, since I have three cards in my hand, he has 3000 attack and defense. (3000/3000) So, as you would expect, drawing more cards increases his power. That is why I will activate Limitless Hand. This means that if we have more than six cards in our hands at the end phase, we don't have to discard. Then I activate my trap card, Sixth Sense. This allows me to call two numbers, and then roll a die. If I roll one of the two numbers, I draw that many cards. If I call the wrong thing, then I have to discard cards from the top of my deck equal to the number I rolled. So I call five and six."

The die came down, but it seemed to be going in slow motion to them…

"A six!" Mana groaned as she saw what it had landed on. "That's the worst thing that could come up at this moment!"

"So I draw six cards… quite useful," Vlad smirked as he drew. (8000/8000) "Now, I will switch Dekoichi to defense mode. And then Osiris attacks your Bowgunian!"

Zack had been frozen as the god card had glared down at him. Now, it reared up, yellow lightning forming in its lower mouth before sending it flying down at the Bowgunian.

He barely came to his senses. "I activate my own Attack Nullification! This will halt your Osiris' attack!"

"You can't be serious!" Vlad laughed. "You expect your puny trap card will help you against a god card's might?"

The barrier came up, but the lightning punched right through it.

Zack watched as it came closer to the Bowgunian, and knew he should move out of the way. But the being in front of him drove all sense from his mind…

The lightning bolt completely obliterated Bowgunian, and a portion of the lightning bolt hit Zack. He was consumed by the electricity instantly.

"Zack!" Larka cried.

"Oh gosh," Mana paled. "If this is anything like Obelisk's attack…"

The lightning finally faded from the original attack, but Zack was still glowing from it. The blue electricity flew out of his body randomly as he struggled to control it.

"Oh, I forgot; you can absorb electricity. Must be pretty painful," Vlad stated. "Especially since you lost such a large amount of Life Points."

Zack: 1300

Vlad: 6800

"Are you alright?" Larka asked anxiously.

"I… will be…" Zack staggered up, still trying to keep down the electricity. "It is overpowering me at the moment… but it will be at a manageable level soon."

"So, you can still duel? Good!" Vlad smirked. "I would like to test out Osiris' power a bit more, after all."

"You won't get the chance to," Zack told him.

"Oh? You think you can defeat a god card? Let's see you try!" Vlad snickered. "I end my turn."

-----

Fell dodged another strike, but as he did, stumbled and collapsed to his knees. The pain was finally beginning to effect his movements. But his wounds were not bleeding yet.

Rouki, seeing his error, came at him with his sword up. Then, the building suddenly vibrated.

"What was that?" Rouki growled, looking at the ground.

Fell took advantage of his distraction and leapt for him, claws slashing at his right arm. The wolf leader snarled, leaping away. But he was not fast enough. His arm was torn by the claws, leaving a severely deep wound. Without pausing, he threw his Crescent Blade over to his left arm, and struck. Fell crashed into the wall, but rolled away as the blade sliced into where he had been lying.

Although he could tell Rouki was seriously effected by the wound, he still battled swiftly and strongly. It was only to be expected; Viken had perfected him, after all. It did not make Fell's job any easier though.

-----

Zack looked at his next card and sighed. _It's no use… I can't defeat Osiris like this. I'm going to have to stall…_ "I summon Drillago! (1600/1200)"

"That was quite foolish," Vlad sneered.

Osiris' top mouth opened and shot another thunderbolt at the Drillago. It was destroyed instantly.

Zack had been hit by the recoil; he got up, teeth clenched in pain as he tried to hold in the electricity he had absorbed.

"Whenever you summon a monster, Osiris takes away 2000 of their attack or defense, depending on which mode they were summoned in. Since your Drillago didn't have more than 2000 attack, it was destroyed instantly. A pity, isn't it?"

"…I switch Big Core to defense mode… and end my turn."

"You can't hope to live that long against me," Vlad said. "I now have nine cards in my hand, after all. (9000/9000) Osiris destroys your pathetic Big Core."

Zack braced himself as another electric attack came towards him. Even so, it was nearly impossible to hold in the energy he had taken in.

"I can't… duel like this…" He brought forth a large amount of electricity to his left hand, and slammed it into the ground. The energy went everywhere around him before fading away. "There… that reduced it a bit."

"It won't really matter, seeing as you are about to lose," Vlad smirked. "You have nothing to hide behind anymore."

Zack shook his head. "Actually, my Big Core is still acting as a pretty good shield."

"What?!" Vlad stared in shock at the battleship. "How did it survive?!"

"Big Core cannot be destroyed in battle. However, whenever it is in battle, it loses a counter. After it has a battle with no counters, it is destroyed at that turn's damage step. Now it has two counters."

Vlad relaxed. "Then it's no big deal; just a minor nuisance. I lay one card down and end my turn." (8000/8000)

_I don't know of any cards in my deck that can stop such a powerful creature… I can't just surrender though. There has to be a way… _

Zack drew, and stared at the card.

_What… is this thing? _He read over the card. _It's perfect! But how did this get in my deck? I don't remember putting it in… wait! Now I remember what happened. Pure luck, but I'm very thankful that it occurred._

"I lay one card face down and one monster in defense mode. That is it," Zack said.

"You're lucky that Osiris cannot affect face down monsters," Vlad stated as he drew. (9000/9000)

"I figured it couldn't," Zack replied. Although expelling some of the electricity had helped, he was still overcharged with it. The sooner this was over, the better for him.

"This will be made even worse for you though," Vlad smirked. "I activate Careless Avarice! This trap lets me draw two cards. In exchange, I have to skip my next two draw phases. But that is worth it to power up Osiris!" (11000/11000)

Zack smiled. "That will be your downfall."

"What?"

"I activate my trap card, Massive Breakdown!" Zack declared.

"Massive Breakdown? What does that do?" Vlad asked.

"I can only activate this when you have eight or more cards in your hand. You're forced to shuffle them into your deck and draw two cards," Zack explained.

"But… that means…"

"Yes. Your Osiris' power has been reduced by a considerable amount!" (2000/2000)

"Damn it all! How did you know I relied on drawing cards?! You wouldn't have had Massive Breakdown in there otherwise!"

"It worked really well here," Draken grinned. "But it does seem like an odd card to use."

"It was a complete accident," Zack responded. "That stack of cards Matt left for me had it. When Hope was dueling, I was just about to read what this card did when Hope won. When the lights went out, I stuck it into my deck without thinking. I'm really glad I did now."

Vlad stared at his weakened Osiris with horror. "You had it out of chance? I can't believe this!"

"It seems like you are done with your turn," Zack stated. "Unless you wish to attack?"

"Yes damn it! Attack Big Core!"

Zack winced as the electricity coursed through him. "Big Core has one counter left. That's just enough for what I have planned. I switch Big Core to attack mode and attack Osiris with it!"

"You can't! A god card can't be destroyed that easily!" Vlad protested.

The battleship shot out several white laser beams at Osiris. It roared as the beams tore right through it. And then it exploded, fire flying everywhere from the sky.

"I believe it can be," Zack said calmly. "I lay another monster in defense mode and one card down. That's all."

"I-I can't draw because of Careless Avarice… I end my turn…"

"Then it's over for you!" Zack declared. "I flip summon my Cyber Raider! (1400/1000) And I sacrifice my face down Roulette Bomber for Machine King! (2200/1000) His attack is raised by 100 for each Machine Sub-Type on my side of the field. (2500/2000) I also equip Machine King with 7 Card! It raises his attack by 700! (3200/2000) Now, Cyber Raider attacks! Then Big Core attacks! And Machine King ends it!"

Zack: 1300

Vlad: 0

-----

Rouki brought down his sword, but Fell dodged yet again. They were getting nowhere with this; Fell could never hit him, and when Rouki did strike him, it did not slow him.

Fell suddenly winced, and looked at his left arm. Blood fell from the wound.

_Compensation of Blood wore off…_ Fell thought wearily. Then, as he watched the approaching wolf leader, he decided to try something, and ran straight for him.

Rouki easily dodged the strike and slashed at Fell's side. But Fell was ready for this. He turned slightly, so that the blow would still hit, but not be fatal.

Pain exploded on his side, and he collapsed, lying on his uninjured side.

"Weak until the end, prototype," Rouki sneered, holding up his sword. "And now… it ends."

Confident that he had won, Rouki did not notice what Fell was about to do until it was too late. He suddenly lunged, clawed hands going for his unprotected neck.

The wolf leader's head flew away as the beheaded corpse hit the ground. Then Fell, weary but satisfied, collapsed again. This time though, he was unconscious.

-----

"No… I can't have… no…" Vlad fell back, staring at Zack.

Zack's switchblade came out of his arm. "You lost. You never set any conditions for this duel, so I'll decide your fate. And for what you have done to not just me, but all of us… that deserves nothing short of death." Then he walked towards him.

But when he was just a few feet away, Vlad pulled out something. "Hold on!"

"What?" Zack growled.

"I am not ready to die yet," Vlad stated. "So, I have an offer. If you let me live… I'll give you this." And he held up a syringe with clear liquid.

"What is it?" Brandi questioned.

"This is the only cure we have for the Black Snake Sickness. Viken made one, in case something went wrong. But he only created one syringe with it. If you kill me, the syringe will shatter and you will never be able to save your friend."

Zack stared at the man with hatred in his eyes, but let his switchblade slide back into his arm. "And if we promise to let you live?"

"Then you can have it; I have no use for it. I will also let myself be handed over to the officials," he said. "Jail time means nothing to me… I will endure it. So… how about it?"

"…I hate having to let you live," Zack stated. "But there is no way I can let Will die. Fine. Hand it over and we'll let you live."

Vlad eyed the cyborg cautiously before handing him it. Then Vlad took out a cell phone and tossed it to Brandi. "Call the officials from that if you want to. But before you do that, I want to say something."

"What would that be?" Gaston asked.

"Through all of my actions, I have made the point I wanted to," Vlad said. "I proved that humanity is too trusting. They placed all of their faith in me, and look where it got them. That is all I desired to prove, and I succeeded."

Nobody had a response for that.

"Go ahead and call," he told Brandi.

"Wait! One more thing," Hope said. "We want you to hand over Osiris."

"Oh, that… fine, here." Vlad tossed it over to Zack as well.

Zack almost dropped it. "What the… this card… it's burning me!"

"Burning you? What?" Draken came up to him and touched it lightly, and jerked his hand away. "Ouch! How can you even hold onto it? That's ridiculously hot!"

"We'll think about it later," Zack said, placing it into his Duel Disk. "Hope, could you please hold onto the syringe?"

"Sure." She took it gingerly as Brandi made the phone call, explaining to the officials what had happened.

Daine was not listening to her though. "I am worried about my master. Larka, can we go down and find him?"

"Yes, of course… Hope, I'm going to find Fell. I'll be up in a second."

"Alright. Be careful."

"Right." She ran down the stairs after Daine, Malon trailing behind her.

They swiftly descended to the third floor, and ran to the room where they had been ambushed. Larka saw her brother instantly, and ran over to him.

"Fell!" She looked at his wounds worriedly, and brought out a few cards. "Hang on, brother…" She inserted a Blessing of God, and then a Red Potion.

"Do you think he will be ok?" Daine asked anxiously.

"After some more of these, yeah," Larka replied. "It's mainly blood loss…" She inserted another Compensation of Blood. "It could have been a lot worse though. If Draken hadn't helped him, I don't know how it would have turned out."

Malon sniffed curiously at Rouki's head. Daine growled at him and Malon came over, tail drooping. Then they waited for Larka to finish looking over him.

-----

"The officials are on their way to your location in the real world," Brandi told Vlad, giving him back his cell phone.

"Alright. Then I will go to greet them." He nodded to the group. "I underestimated all of you. If we ever happen to meet again, I will be much more cautious." Then he vanished.

Everyone was silent until they heard Larka coming up the stairs. Soon she emerged, carrying her unconscious brother while Daine and Malon followed.

"How is he?" Kisara asked.

"Much better. I was worried at first, but he'll be perfectly fine. It was all thanks to Draken's assistance that he won."

"Glad I could help," Draken replied. "Now, we need to get that cure to Will, and fast. You guys up for it?"

"Yes. Let's hurry!" Hope agreed.

Kazel whipped her tail around in irritation. "We will not be with you when we return to the real world."

"True," Draken nodded. "So… after everything is taken care of, can I come back to stay with you guys for a few more days?"

"Actually…" Kisara said shyly. "I was wondering if you wanted to live with us."

"Live with you two?" Draken asked, astonished by the suggestion.

"Oh… I'm sorry. I didn't know you would be so against it," Kisara blushed, turning away.

"No, I'm not against it at all! It's been pretty lonely in that darn apartment of ours. If it's alright with you, I'd love to stay."

"Then it's settled," Kisara smiled.

"Aw… how cute!" Mana teased.

Draken glared at her. "Do us all a favor and shut up."

"For now I'll agree to do that, since Will needs help," Mana replied. "But I'm not done with you yet."

"Great," Draken sighed. "I guess I'll worry about that later. Let's leave."

"Let us meet again someday," Kisara said to the group.

"Yes, let's!" Hope grinned.

Again, they both felt as though they knew each other, but did not comment as Kisara and Kazel teleported out.

"Oh! Fell! Are you ok?" they heard Larka ask. Turning, they saw that he had woken up.

"Yes." He rose, glancing at her inquiringly.

"Viken is dead, and we dealt with Vlad; I'll go into more detail later," she told him. "We have to get Will this cure really quickly though!"

He nodded, and looked over at Draken, speaking a single word. "Thanks."

Draken blinked. "Uh… you're welcome…"

Fell teleported out before he could say anything else.

"The flying pigs missed their cue," Draken commented before following suit. The others teleported out as well, leaving the base abandoned, except for the countless corpses.

-----

Claire was sleeping on the fold-out couch when she heard a lot of activity nearby. She sat up, rubbing her eyes sleepily as she looked around.

"What's going on?" she inquired as she saw them all getting up.

"We did it!" Hope said excitedly. "We found the cure! Now we can only pray that we aren't too late…"

"I'll come with you," Claire volunteered, jumping up.

"You found the cure? Good job!" Hime commented, walking in. Perseus entered as well.

"Yeah. We'll tell all of you about it later," Brandi promised. "You won't believe some of the things we had to go through!"

"But we have to hurry," Larka stated. "Sorry."

"It's fine. Go on, quickly!" Hime encouraged.

They rushed out, paying no attention to the beautiful night as they went to the hospital.

"We won't have enough room if you Soul Monsters are there as well," Brandi pointed out as they went inside.

"That's true. We'll wait in Miles' room," Gaston said. "Tell us how things go!"

Malon whimpered, trying to stay with Larka, but Daine picked him up by the collar and walked off with the others.

Hope knocked at Will's door, and in a few seconds it was opened by Neo.

"You're back!" he exclaimed. "How did things go?"

"We got the cure!" Larka replied. "Where is Lilian?"

"Right here," she called from Will's bedside. "Who has it? Please be quick; I don't know how long he has…"

They were shocked to see how badly Will looked. The tattoos were glowing wickedly as the teen uttered soft cries of pain.

"Here." Hope handed her the syringe.

Lilian looked at it. "How many of these do you have?"

Hope felt a pang of guilt. "They only made one…"

"So we're leaving countless other people to die," Larka whispered.

"It can't be helped," Lilian sighed as she prepared the syringe. "No matter what we do, we can only save one person. All of you went through the trials needed to get this; why shouldn't you have the right to use it as you wish to?"

"That's true," Draken nodded. "Alright then, use it!"

She eyed Will, who was still occasionally tossing and turning in pain. "Neo, I need you to hold him down. We only have one chance for this to succeed."

"Right!" He grabbed Will's arms, turning him so he was eagle-spread across the bed. "Will? Please, calm down. It's ok. The pain will be gone soon. You'll be alright… please, just let us help you!"

Will tensed, and then relaxed. "…Neo…? Where… it's so dark… too much… pain…"

"Now, Lilian!" Neo said.

She had found a vein as he had talked. Now she gently inserted the needle and injected him with the liquid.

Will let out one last cry of agony before suddenly becoming limp. The glow of the snakes faded away, but the tattoos remained.

"Is he going to heal?" Neo asked nervously as Lilian felt his forehead.

"It's too soon to tell. We can only wait."

"Then I'm going to get some rest," Draken said, sitting down. "That was one big rush we had!"

"How close was Will to dying until now?" Zack asked as he sat down too.

"Less than a day away. You came just in time," Lilian answered.

Hope sighed in relief. "That was too close…"

"How did you get it?" Neo asked.

"We'll tell everyone at once," Brandi said.

Lilian got up. "If he wakes up, tell me. In the meantime, I need to look over Max." Then she left.  
Draken broke the silence. "Now what?"

"Now we discuss something that needs to be decided," Zack said. He reached over to his Duel Disk and grabbed the top card, quickly putting it on the floor. "Max looks over Obelisk, but who will guard Osiris?"

"You found Osiris?!" Neo said in amazement, looking at the card.

"Yep. Unfortunately, he was unsealed before we knew our enemy had him," Draken said bitterly.

"Well… you won it from him," Larka said. "Why don't you keep it, Zack?"

"I don't think I have the right to," he explained. "Max never said anything about Obelisk burning him… so I think Osiris is telling me I'm not supposed to keep it."

"Then it doesn't like me either," Draken joked. "Larka? Fell?"

Larka carefully touched it, and yelped. "Nope, it's not mine."

Fell also felt it, and removed his hand. "It burned me as well."

Claire grimaced as she tried. "No chance."

Brandi went over and winced. "Not going to work for me…"

Hope eagerly reached over to feel it. Brandi was shocked to see, for a second, a dark look in Hope's eyes… one that seemed to be filled with greed…

Then she yanked her hand away. "Argh… no go." She sighed. "Well, it's apparently none of ours… but if nobody can hold on to it, I will."

"Let's test out the others before jumping to conclusions," Brandi said, looking uneasy. "Hope, could you tell the Soul Monsters how Will is doing?"

"Yeah, if you want me to." She left the room.

Brandi waited until she was gone before turning to the others. "Listen. We can't have Hope keep the god card."

"What? Why not? She would take good care of it," Zack said.

"Whenever something comes up about the god cards, Hope acts… odd. She wanted to know where Obelisk was a few days ago. I didn't tell her, and she acted as though she hadn't meant to ask… but it's making me suspicious."

"She wouldn't betray us!" Larka exclaimed, shocked.

"I doubt she would, but I'm still worried. So let anyone else have it; just not Hope."

"Alright…" Claire said regretfully.

Zack took the card and put it back in his Duel Disk again. "I'll hold onto it until we can ask the others."

In a few minutes, Hope came back in. "Malon really misses you."

"That's typical," Larka laughed.

Hope looked over her. "Shouldn't you change out of those clothes?"

Larka winced as she saw their condition. "Oh yeah… after we get back to the condo, I will. But I want to see how Will is doing."

"I don't blame you," Hope replied, sitting down again.

They waited in silence. The group members stayed close to the wall while Neo waited by Will's side anxiously.

Suddenly, Neo broke the quiet. "The marks! They're fading!"

They went over to see that it was true. The black was slowly vanishing from him.

"Thank goodness that we weren't too late," Hope smiled.

The tranquil moment resumed as they waited. By now, dawn was approaching. They began to see the sun rising out of the window.

Then, someone spoke.

"After being in darkness for so long, it's nice to see the morning."

They all spun around to see Will sitting up in bed, who had been gazing at out the window as well.

He smiled at them, who were all staring at him. "So, what did I miss?"

"Will! How do you feel?" Neo asked, greatly relieved and hardly daring to hope.

"Perfectly fine now," he replied. "I was being consumed by pain, but I heard someone speaking to me often. It kept me from giving in and just accepting death. Neo, was that your voice?"

He blinked, and then smiled gently. "Yeah. I think it might have been."

"Then I owe you my life," Will stated, getting out of bed.

"Are you sure you should be standing up?" Hope asked worriedly.

"Yeah, it's ok," he assured her. "I feel as though I need to move around. I've been here a pretty long time, haven't I?"

"You've been here for about three days," Claire answered.

"That explains… so, what has happened? I'd like to have you guys explain the events, even though I kind of already know it."

"What do you mean?" Larka inquired.

"When I was delirious, I kept seeing images. I think they were more than just dreams though… I believe they were visions."

"We think so too," Brandi told him. "You talked in your sleep, and everything you said came true somehow."

"Interesting," he replied. "I'd like to hear about all of this."

"You'll get the chance," Hope promised. "I don't know when though."

"I have a suggestion," Zack said. "How about we see if Rue and Max are up to moving around yet? If they are, then we can go to Miles' room and get all of the questions done at once."

"Good call," Will nodded. "Oh, by the way, are you alright Larka?"

She blushed slightly. "I still need to change out of these… sorry you had to wake up to see me wearing garments like these."

"I'm just glad to wake up, period," Will laughed. "So maybe we should go back to the condo for you to do that? I could certainly use some fresh air."

"Same here," Neo sighed.

Will gave his friend a closer look. "You look exhausted… how long have you been in here?"

"I didn't leave at all," Neo answered. "I fell asleep once, accidentally. Otherwise, I've been waiting for you to recover."

"You've stayed up for almost three days?!" Will exclaimed. "I'm glad you care about me, but don't kill yourself like that!"

"It's fine," Neo said."I'm so relieved that you're ok… it was my fault that you got infected in the first place."

"What? Where did you get that idea?" Will stared at his Soul Monster with concern. "It wasn't your fault at all. You tried to protect me! There's no point in trying to blame anyone. I'm fine, and I assume Thanatos is gone… is he?"

"Yes," Hope replied.

"Thought so," Will nodded. "So, there's no need to say who's guilty about it. Ok?"

"…Yeah," Neo replied, smiling wearily. "You're right."

"Good, you're actually listening to me for once!" Will opened the door. "So, shall we leave?"

"Hold on. Lilian wants to look over you, and then we will," Brandi said.

Hope went and got the nurse. She looked over at Will, and nodded when she was done examining him.

"You have completely recovered. I'm glad that you managed to pull through. It must have been a terrible ordeal."

"It was," he agreed. "No need to dwell on it though. So can we go now?"

"After we get the other Soul Monsters too," Hope said.

They went over to Miles' room, and Hope knocked on the door once more.

"It's still open," they heard Gen say.

"That's good; I was afraid you might have locked it," Hope joked as she opened it.

Miles has been talking with Gaston about something, but he lost track of his conversation instantly. "Will! You're ok!"

"Yep, and am I glad I am," he said. "We'll talk soon enough, so don't start throwing questions all over the place."

"We're going back to the condo for some rest," Hope explained. "We'll be back soon."

"Alright. See you guys later," Miles called as they left.

They left the hospital, soon arriving at the condo. Hime and Perseus were delighted to see Will. Chasity had not known how close Will had come to dying, so she was happier to see Malon come back.

"I'm going to take a shower, if you don't mind," Larka said to Brandi.

"Go ahead." Brandi looked at Fell. "You could use one too."

Fell glanced down at himself and shrugged.

"No, it's not nothing! Brandi's completely right! You're going first!" Larka demanded, dragging him away.

"Poor guy," Hope laughed. "What should the rest of us do?"

"How about getting some sleep?" Brandi suggested. "Hey, Hime! Could you wake us up at around ten?"

"Of course," she replied. "Go ahead and relax."

"I'm all for that," Neo declared as they went into the living room. He leaned against the wall and instantly fell asleep.

"He really needs that rest," Will commented. "Maybe we should leave while he's still asleep."

"He'd kill you when he wakes up," Mana pointed out.

"True. I guess he can catch up on his sleep later." He went towards the door. "I'm not tired at all. I think I'll take a walk, if that's ok."

"Go ahead," Brandi replied. "See you later."

Claire decided to stay with Chasity and Malon, since she was not about to fall asleep either. Hope went into the fold out bed, and was soon out of it. Zack went to his corner and began to recharge. Draken took a spot next to Neo. Brandi went to her mother's room, Mana following her. Gaston remained with Daine and Perseus, talking over a few things.

-----

_She was in front of the painting again. But this time, Obelisk had glowing red eyes and Osiris had glowing yellow eyes. They looked as though they were at long last awake. Ra still seemed asleep though. _

_Satan still seemed asleep. The figure to the right was still in the shadows. The one to the left was starting to emerge though… something produced from the figure's head, and from its back… and the dark blue jewel gleamed…_

_Then, she heard Satan._

_"Come back to me, my loyal servants. Join me once more…"_

_Hope could not resist. There was something he wanted, something he needed, and she had to get it for him…_

-----

Zack woke up instantly, and stood up as he saw Hope stumbling over to him.

_She must have triggered my security device, _he thought as she came over.

"Hope? Is something wrong?"

The girl did not respond, but instead grabbed his Duel Disk.

"Hope?" He gently pulled his Duel Disk out of her grasp, and looked at her eyes.

They were still closed. Her breathing was steady and even as well.

_She's sleepwalking,_ Zack realized. He watched as she took his Duel Disk into her hands again, reaching for the top card on his deck.

_She's trying to take Osiris in her sleep? What on earth is going on with her? _Zack moved his Duel Disk away again. "Hope, wake up. Please, respond to me."

She tried to grab his Duel Disk again.

"This is not working," he muttered. "Hey, Gaston!"

"Yeah? What's the problem?" He came in and caught sight of the two of them. "Hope, what are you doing?"

"She's sleepwalking," Zack answered. "Can I have some assistance please?"

"Alright." He grasped Hope by the hand and led her back into the fold-out bed, where she instantly lay down and remained still.

"What was that all about?" Gaston wondered.

"She seemed to be trying to get Osiris," Zack replied. "I'm concerned about this. She seems to want the god cards for some reason, but I cannot guess why."

"I'll keep an eye on her," Gaston replied, looking worried. "She has never sleepwalked before… I hope she's alright."

"As do I." Then Zack went back to where he had been.

Gaston sat next to the bed Hope lay in, deciding to make sure she did not try to sleepwalk again.

-----

"Hope, Draken, Zack, Neo, wake up!" Larka said, running in.

Hope was up instantly. "It was nice to have a rest, but I still feel weary. Oh well." She glanced at Larka's clothes. "It looks like you've finally gotten that shower."

"I forced Fell to take his first." Larka sat down next to her, looking disgusted. "He took as long as ever trying to do it, too. I keep telling him a comb would help, but of course he doesn't listen…"

Hope laughed at her expression. "So are we about to go?"

"Yeah, in a few minutes. Brandi's already awake. Will came back too."

"So, how are you Neo?" Will asked as he came in.

"A lot better, thanks," Neo replied.

"Is everyone else ready to leave?" Zack questioned.

"All but Brandi," Darche answered, coming in. "She's getting a new outfit."

"How would you know?" Draken asked.

"Just listen."

They soon realized what Darche meant by that.

"Those stupid torturers! They just had to go and tear apart one of my favorite tops! If Matt hadn't already killed them I'd be sure to, those damn punks!"

Draken raised an eyebrow. "Ouch. That's harsh."

Then they heard the front door open. Curious, they went to see who it was.

"Abby! You're back!" Hime exclaimed as her friend came back in.

"Yes, I am. I'm glad to see you," she smiled. "Where is Chasity?"

When Malon had run to the door, barking, Chasity had followed. Seeing who was there, she instantly ran to Abby. "Mom!"

Abby instantly embraced her. "I've missed you."

"Same here!" Chasity said, grinning.

The others had noticed the second person though.

"Max!" Brandi gasped, coming into the room and stopping as she saw him. "You're well enough to get up?"

"Yep. I'm pretty thankful too; it was getting really boring, just lying there all day," Max stated.

"I bet you guys will love this," Draken snickered. "But we were just about to go to the hospital. We're going to tell everyone everything that happened there, since Miles can't move around."

"Great," Max sighed. "You could have told us before we came here. Wait, will we all even be able to fit into Miles' room?"

"He's being moved to a bigger room since he'll be staying in the hospital for a while," Neo explained. "That's what Lilian said, anyway."

"Miles isn't my most favorite guy in the world, but I feel sorry for him," Max commented. "He's in for some really dull months."

"Well, we have to get Rue and Ruecian first," Perseus told him. "Then we'll go to the hospital."

"I'll stay here to look after Chasity," Abby said. "Hime can go and tell me what you discussed when you all return."

"That's fine," Neo replied. "See you two later."

"Bye!" Chasity waved as they left.

"We must look like the oddest group," Draken joked as they walked to the rehab center.

"Then it's a good thing nobody is watching us," Brandi pointed out.

When they reached the rehab center, Claire went towards it. "I'll get them. You guys wait here."

In a few minutes she returned, Rue and Ruecian with her. Rue still seemed awkward with the crutches but he was able to limp over to them.

"Max, Will! It's great to see that you two are up!" he said enthusiastically.

"Likewise," Will responded. "Can you keep up with us?"

Max normally would have made a smart-aleck comment in response to Rue, but remembering that in a way, he had been the one to break Rue's leg, he stayed silent.

"Probably not," Rue replied in a disgusted tone. "I still need to be at the rehab center a bit longer."

"I see. Oh, and by the way…" Will brought out his book, The Outcast of Redwall, and slammed Rue over the head with it.

"Ow! What was that for?!" Rue complained.

"Don't take my sayings," Will told him before beginning to walk towards the hospital.

Rue stared at him in amazement. "How did he know I said that a few days back?"

"Will's had some interesting visions," Hope said as Ruecian helped Rue get on Perseus.

"I hope he'll go over them in a bit more detail when we get to the hospital," Rue responded.

"So Claire told you where we are going?"

"Yep. So let's get there."

-----

"At least this place is roomier," Miles commented as he looked around his new room. It was almost identical to his previous one, except that this one was much bigger. "But do you think they'll all be able to fit in here?"

"We'll see when they arrive," Matt replied. He had come in a few minutes ago to see if he could hear the story as well.

They suddenly heard several footsteps coming towards the room.

"That'll be them," Gen confirmed. As Hope's familiar knock sounded on the door, he instantly called out, "It's open!"

"Well, this is an improvement," Draken commented as they stepped in. "If we all sit down, we just might be able to fit."

"I can't really sit down well," Rue pointed out.

"You can sit on the edge of the bed," Miles suggested. "It's not like I'm taking up this whole thing."

"Hey, it's been a while," Rue replied. "Ok, thanks."

Claire also fit on Miles' bed. Soon they all managed to fit in with a bit of room to spare. Even Perseus could stay.

Brandi had gone over to Matt at once. "I have to really thank you for Masque. He was a great help." She handed the Soul Card to Matt.

"I'm glad he could assist," Matt said, accepting it.

As soon as everyone was comfortable, Hope spoke first. "It's been a while since we've all been together, huh?"

"It's been at least a month, since Miles never did show up again," Draken pointed out.

"Oh, yes… Miles, would you please tell us about that now?" Hope requested.

Miles was silent for a few moments before nodding. "Alright. I have to, after all I've done. But please, don't interrupt me. If I'm stopped, it will be hard to finish."

"We understand. Go ahead," Larka encouraged.

"Alright… in the church, my ordeal was to face my own past, although I did not know it then. I was told to grasp my Soul Card, so I did. That brought everything back. So, here is what happened."

"I lived in a town that was in Illinois. It was a small, quiet place, but I liked living there. My mother died when I was about six, so I remember her a bit… but I was with my dad mostly. His name was Luke." Miles forced himself to keep going. "He was… a really good father. I loved him a lot… I still do, as a matter of fact."

"When I was ten… that was when it all began. Raven was a guy who had always picked on me before… I didn't have many friends back then, but Raven was always the worst. He always had several problems in things such a school, and I think his parents weren't exactly good influences on him and Robin… that's his brother, by the way. Anyway, Raven went too far one day and attacked me, all while saying things about my mother… like that she was probably happy to be dead, instead of having to deal with me… I could put up with that now, but back then I was nothing but a lost, scared boy. It affected me deeply."

"I told my dad what had happened, and he challenged Raven to a duel. If he won, Raven was to leave me alone for the rest of our lives, and if he lost, he would never step between us again. He easily beat Raven; Raven wasn't that good at dueling. Robin was better at it, but not enough to be called an expert. Anyway, Raven now wanted revenge on dad. One night, he broke into our house. When dad found him… Raven… he stabbed him… Dad… he just looked at me with those kind eyes of his… and then closed them forever… God, I still miss him," Miles said sadly.

"But I was afraid, yet angry. I stabbed Raven with his own knife, and then took dad's deck… and his bandana. That's why it's always been special to me," he added, fingering it. "I fled from the house, and saw Robin. So I ran into the nearest store, a bakery. There was a fireplace in the front room, so I grabbed a burning log from inside it and threw it into the hall, near a smoke detector, and ran out of the back door. I wanted a diversion to distract Robin."

"I hadn't expected what occurred though. Instead of just a small fire that could be put out, the whole building exploded. The town was ablaze in less than a minute. It didn't stand a chance."

"There was only one survivor, and that was Robin. He confronted me and managed to give me the scar on my neck before I got away. I ran until I collapsed in the woods, exhausted."

"When I woke up, I discovered that a Commander of Heaven had taken care of me. I was appalled at what I had done though. I wanted to kill myself… but instead, the Commander of Heaven offered to take away the pain of it. I accepted, and he erased my memory."

Miles closed his eyes. "The truth tore at me for the month I was away from you guys. When Thanatos came, he offered to erase my memory. Gen told me it was wrong, but I didn't listen to him. At the time, I was desperate, and I decided to take that route… but when I went through with it, I knew instantly that I shouldn't have. Being a traitor to all of you hurts much worse than an accident such as the one in the town. So… if you can forgive me, I would be forever grateful. But I do not blame any of you if you do not."

The silence after his narrative was broken by Will. "You said you started the fire in a bakery?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"You chose one of the worst places possible," Will told him. "Flour acts just like gunpowder. When the fire connected with it, it must have blown up the bakery, which had a chain reaction on nearby houses."

"Oh… so that's how it happened," Miles said quietly.

"Also, I'd like to explain something," Gen stated. "Miles' memories were stored into me. I didn't know I held onto them, nor did he. That is why he held onto his Soul Card in the ordeal."

"Interesting," Zack commented.

Then Hope spoke. "Miles, I can't speak for the others, but I at least forgive you. You made wrong choices, but you recognize that now and are trying to correct them. I think that deserves a chance."

"Actually, I believe Hope just did speak for us all," Draken stated. "Any objections?"

Nobody spoke.

"Then remember that we're all with you," Larka said to him. "If you ever have problems such as that, please talk to us instead of hiding. Ok?"

"…Yeah… thanks you guys," Miles replied. "It means everything to me…" Then he trailed off.

Brandi was the next to speak up. "Now that that's settled, how about we tell everyone about what happened?"

"That sounds good," Hope agreed. "Should I begin?"

There were a few interruptions here and there during the tale, but otherwise it was told. Hope and Brandi did not tell of what Hope had said to Max in the forest, but otherwise no details were omitted. Fell even told them about how his fight with Rouki had gone. Will seemed to recognize a few parts of the story but did not comment. Everyone was shocked to heard that Malady and Viken had been alive and assisting Thanatos, and with Vlad being the true villain. They were even more stunned to hear that Vlad had gotten Osiris.

"That's about it," Hope concluded. "Vlad's in jail by this point, and the officials will destroy all the mechanical soldiers and wolf soldiers. Their souls are long gone… due to this, it would be kinder to kill them. Viken and Malady are dead, and we have Osiris in our possession. It may have been unsealed, but at least we have it."

"Can we see it?" Will asked.

Zack carefully drew it, and wincing at the burning feeling, put it next to Rue, who was the closest person to him that had not seen the god card.

"Wow… he's amazing," Rue said in awe. Then he reached for it.

"Wait! Don't pick it up!" Zack exclaimed, but it was too late.

Rue looked at the card he held before giving Zack a confused look. "Why not? It isn't like I'm going to bend it or anything."

Everyone who had seen Osiris before stared at Rue in amazement.

"You can hold it?" Brandi asked in disbelief.

"Uh… yeah. Why wouldn't I be able to?" Rue asked.

"It burned anyone who tried to touch it," Claire explained. "None of us could hold onto it. But you aren't affected at all!"

"So what does that mean?" Rue inquired, examining the card more closely.

"I guess that means you get to be its guardian," Zack stated. "I was just holding onto it for a while. He's yours now."

"Are you sure we want to trust Rue with this, out of all people?" Brandi teased.

"Hey! I'm better than Miles at things like this, at least!" Rue protested.

"I resent that," Miles muttered.

"If Rue can hold it, then it's rightfully his," Zack said. "No questions asked."

"Oh… speaking of which, Obelisk burned me when I tried to hold it!" Mana commented. "Max asked me to hide it, so I did. But it was extremely hard to hold onto!"

"So whenever we find Ra, we'll have to find its proper guardian as well," Matt inferred.

"That should be fun," Gaston said sarcastically.

"Larka, I have a question," Zack stated. "What did you do with that remote control?"

"I took a huge rock I found outside and smashed it. Was that ok?"

Zack blinked. "Uh… yes, it is actually…"

Hope waited for them to finish before speaking up. "Now what? We finished what we were doing here, so I guess we'll be splitting up again?"

"Yeah. I need to go back to Kisara's place," Draken replied.

"Draken, are you and Kisara boyfriend and girlfriend like Mana said?" Rue questioned.

"You weren't supposed to tell them I said that!" Mana growled.

"Ok, listen you two," Draken snarled, glaring at Rue and Mana. "We are friends. That is it. We do not love each other, we like each other as friends. That is it. Got it?!"

"Talk about denial," Rue joked.

"If you didn't have a broken leg, I would beat the tar out of you for that," Draken grumbled.

"Nice thing for you to say, old friend," Rue snickered.

"Rue and I will have to go home too," Claire said, interrupting the argument. "But Rue needs to spend a few more days in rehab before that happens."

"Damn that place," Rue muttered.

"Max and I will be going home obviously, as will Matt," Brandi stated.

"Same here," Will said.

"We need to fly back," Hope told them.

"Yeah, and get Zack back into that suitcase," Larka grinned.

"For all that is holy, no," Zack said dryly. "I am not going back. Got it? I will remain in South Carolina somehow, rather than go through that again."

Will took pity on the cyborg. "Well, we have a large house that only holds two people. How about it? You can stay with us for a while."

"Thanks, I would appreciate that," Zack replied.

"Aw… I'm going to miss having you around," Larka said sadly.

"I get the feeling we'll meet up again soon enough," Zack responded, smiling slightly.

Larka nodded. "That's true, but I'll still miss you."

"Mom won't," Hope stated. "She'll be delighted. If you get a thank you note it'll be from her, ok Zack?"

"Understood," he replied.

"And I'm stuck here," Miles sighed. "This is going to be as boring as heck."

"Don't worry. Neo and I will visit you two," Will assured.

"As will I," Zack decided.

"That helps," Miles grinned. "Too bad I don't have at least one arm to use to read a book though."

"I could read out loud for you," Gen joked.

"Hahaha… no," Miles said in disgust.

Ruecian nodded in agreement.

"Then let's get going," Max stated.

"We'll see you guys soon hopefully!" Larka called.

"For sure," Zack confirmed as they split up.

"I'll anticipate it!" Hope shouted before everyone had gone their separate ways.

-----

Sarius watched as the glow around The Child's ball slowly vanished. "Could it be that they have been unsealed?"

The Child did not respond.

Sarius sighed. "Oh well. That is not our biggest problem at the moment. Raid, Cyrus! Come over. We must talk."

They came to where their two companions stood, overlooking the lake.

"He is about to get serious," Sarius stated. "He wants to find them. We have to get to them first. Some preparations must be made, but soon we will find them. Do you understand, Child?"

"Hai, Tirran-sama."

"And you two?"

Raid hissed and Cyrus nodded.

"Alright then. You know what we must do."

And they walked away from the lake, not knowing what had occurred inside it.

For the painting had changed. Now, Obelisk's glinting red eyes were accompanied by Osiris' yellow ones.

**_THE END_**


	21. Author's Note and Credits

**Author's Note and Credits**

Alright! Teknisk Wereld v3 is finally complete! But like before, I could not have finished this without much help! And here is where I award credit to where it is due!

Katal Blader: For Rue, Ruecian, Claire, Perseus, and their decks.

CyberTigerAngel: For Will, Neo, and Will's deck. And for his Redwall knowledge. I also give him credit for the idea of Zack traveling in a suitcase. That was just priceless to me, thanks for the idea!

HikotageNoInyou: For Sarius, Raid, the Child, Cyrus, Juno, and Zork. (Although Juno and Zork didn't appear this arc) Also for their amazing pasts. What are those? You'll have to wait! He also proof-read much of my work. Thanks for pointing out my mistakes!

DarkChiWizard22: Geez, he's done a lot. Max, Olympion, Brandi, Mana, Randall, Matt, Masque, Abby, Chasity, Ender, Thanatos, Vlad, Grendel, their decks (except Vlad's, since he didn't really have much of one), their past, and some other ideas for this story that are too numerous to mention are all done by him. He also pointed out several errors in duels (along with a few in grammar), and helped me understand card effects I didn't get. All the way to the top dude! Oh, and now that I think about it, he's the one who made me write this. He said he didn't think I could write serious fics. Look who proved you wrong! -Is shot-

Julia, Samuel, Toan, and Josh: For being great friends! Oh, and for your love of cows Toan.

Caleb, ifrit, and Buster Blader: Thanks for doing really lame things in duels for me to comment on!

David Clement: This guy wrote a book called The Sight that had two wolves called Fell and Larka, who were brother and sister. Those names were some of my favorites, so I named my two characters after them. I offer thanks for his awesome work! (He also wrote Fire Bringer, which is another good book)

Whoever created Xenosaga: I based Zack's design off a character from here. (The character was Ziggy, in case you ever play it or something) So thanks to whoever created him, because his design rocks!

Megaman X: Command Mission: Vlad's base design was based on the level Grave Ruins Base. It's a very nice stage indeed!

Gaoranger: The design for Rouki, along with his name, was ripped off of this. I don't know how close or far off I was to imitating his character, because DarkChiWizard22 was behind the idea of using him as the wolf leader; I personally have never watched Gaoranger. I really don't care either, since I liked the way his personality turned out!

Edo's: His website has every translation I have used, and I am extremely grateful he made it!

Free Translations: For many of the names of the Generals of Hell.

Whoever the heck created Yu-Gi-Oh: Obvious!

Brian Jacques, Christopher Paolini, and Brad Stroker: For writing the Redwall series, Eragon, and Dracula!

Video Game Designers: For making the video games I mentioned.

Odinbalz: For hosting Triple Triad Advance. That game owns.

All of my reviewers, here and on the Yu-Gi-Oh Social Board: Thanks for the positive remarks, and reading this whole thing! You guys and girls rule!

A few names I would like to mention: Demon Fan, Zander, Dragran, ilovekels, Sean Oetter, Captain Obvious, and Tragic1987! Thank you all for reviewing this story! 62 reviews is something to be proud of, and I am honored you all found my story that interesting!

And, last and least, Nokia: For creating the N-Gage for me to bash on! (Although I didn't get the chance to in this story…)

But it isn't over yet! We still have one god card to go, after all! Will still has more visions to uncover too, and Sarius seemed to know something as well. So that's right; another arc will be coming! I expect to have the first chapter up by Monday.

I hope to see you all there, and those that come enjoy it as much as these other arcs, if not more!

-Puts up sign that says The End on it-

Kuribo: -Still pursues Demon Rue-

Demon Rue: Why do I have to suffer this?! Why does the author hate me like this?!

…Ok, that's it folks!


End file.
